Alberta Election: ridings to watch as the province votes

While the latest polls indicate that Danielle Smith's Wildrose Party will form a majority government after Monday's election, there are still several unpredictable ridings in the province of Alberta.

Here are some of the high-profile ones we'll be watching closely on election night:

Edmonton-Meadowlark: (The Liberal Party's only hope?)

The race in Edmonton-Meadowlark is all about Raj Sherman.

Liberal Party leader Sherman was elected as a Progressive Conservative in 2008 but he was kicked out of the caucus and eventually won the Liberal leadership.

Marty Klinkenberg of the Edmonton Journal wrote that "it is anybody's guess whether Sherman will be rebuked for jumping ship or find forgiveness."

If Sherman doesn't win, it would spell disaster for the Liberals.

Highwood: (First campaign for Wildrose leader)

This historically Conservative riding, just south of Calgary, is where Wildrose leader has decided to run. Smith faces tough competition from Progressive Conservative candidate John Barlow, the former editor of the local newspaper The Western Wheel.

A loss for Smith here would be a severe blow to her party.

Calgary-Greenway: (Can controversial candidate Ron Leech win?)

PC minister Manmeet Bhullar is running for re-election in this northeast Calgary riding.

He's facing a challenge from controversial Wildrose candidate and church minister Ron Leech, who recently suggested he has an advantage over his visible minority opponents because he's white.

Edmonton-Glenora: (Five strong candidates)

"If Edmonton-Glenora was a division in World Cup soccer, it would be known as the group of death," wrote Edmonton Journal writer Keith Gerein.

There are five strong candidates in this riding, which was held by the Liberals in 1993, 1997 and 2004, then swung back to the Progressive Conservatives in 2008.

Incumbent Heather Klimchuk is up against Liberal Bruce Miller, who represented the area in 2004; former NDP leader Ray Martin; one-time mayoral candidate Don Koziak for Wildrose; and Sue Huff, one of the Alberta Party's strongest hopes.

Chestermere-Rocky View: (New riding boundaries and a high profile opponent could hurt MLA Ted Morton's chances)

Unsuccessful Tory leadership candidate Ted Morton is facing a vastly altered constituency — a constituency which might be difficult for him to retain.

"[The constituency] is a change from the hegemony of farms and acreages to the west of the city [Morton] has represented in the past," notes an article in the Calgary Herald.

"The new horseshoe-shaped riding encircles three-quarters of the city and also takes in the region east of Calgary."

Morton is running against Wildrose candidate and former TV host Bruce McAllister, who is expected to attract strong support.

Calgary-West: (A controversial nomination for the PCs may come back to haunt them)

Calgary-West is expected to be a two party battle between Wildrose candidate Andrew Constantinidis, an oilman who previously served as president for MP Rob Anders's constituency association, and PC candidate Ken Hughes, a high-profile Alison Redford insider who recently served as chairman of the Alberta Health Services Board.

Hughes, however, may face the wrath of angry local PC voters over the party's decision to overturn a riding nomination vote which former MLA Shiraz Shariff had won.