Progressive Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach is facing his first test at the polls, but the election is widely expected to hand his party its 11th consecutive majority government.

"It feels good to bring the whole campaign to a close," Stelmach said Monday.

Stelmach's real battle is expected to be in dealing with Albertans' political apathy, as a low voter turnout is expected today.

In Edmonton, volunteers from all four major political parties were calling supporters and even driving them to polling stations to maximize their votes.

"Any little bit we can help get the vote out we're going to do that," said NDP volunteer Alan Boyle.

During the 28-day campaign, TV ads from Elections Alberta ran trying to guilt Albertans into voting booths. The ads chided lazy voters with fake testimonials from those who decided not to vote because they were stuck in a staring contest or unable to escape a living-room recliner.

Turnout in Alberta provincial elections going back to 1989 has been in the 53 per cent range, but it dipped to 45 per cent in 2004.

In 2004, two million Albertans were eligible to vote. But the number has since increased by half a million - primarily out-of-province workers who have moved to take advantage of Alberta's booming energy-based economy.

A low voter turnout is expected to hurt the Tories the most, possibly allowing for the opposition Liberals to make some inroads.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft is hoping to solidify gains made in Edmonton in 2004 and take more seats in the traditionally Tory Calgary.

His first test

Stelmach won the Progressive Conservative leadership in December 2006, emerging as a compromise candidate in the fight to replace Ralph Klein, who led the party and province for 14 years. He's confident that he can continue his party's dominant election record.

"We have a good plan. It's achievable. It reflects all of the priorities that Albertans have talked about," Stelmach told reporters on Sunday.

Stelmach's party held 60 of the province's 83 seats heading into today's vote. The Tories have held power continuously since 1971, often winning massive majorities in the process.

Economically, the province has been enjoying a time of great prosperity. But the hyper-growth resulting from Alberta's energy resources boom has brought its own set of problems. The surge of newcomers in the past five years has put huge pressure on every major service -- health, education, housing and infrastructure.

Equipment operator Harrison Green moved to Alberta five years ago, has a well-paying job -- and lives in a homeless shelter because he can't afford his own place.

"The cost of living here is crazy," he said.

Alberta is Canada's carbon energy capital. Its oilsands deposits are seen as key to the province's economic future, but many feel their development in northeastern Alberta has spiralled out of control.

There are worries about labour shortages, the surging cost of construction -- and the environmental price of development. The oilsands are a very dirty fuel in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, and are largely extracted through strip mining.

Stelmach has refused to apply the brakes to oilsands development, even though some companies have suggested slowing the pace. His greenhouse gas plan won't even begin until 2020.

The opposition

The opposition parties have said this shows a lack of vision.

"It's about a new start for a great province that's frankly lost its way," Taft said Sunday. His party held 16 seats.

"They're saying they're unhappy, but they don't know what to do about it," Calgary Liberal candidate Tianna Melnyck claims she's hearing from long-time Tory supporters.

NDP Leader Brian Mason -- whose party holds four seats, all in Edmonton -- mainly hopes to carve out a larger slice of the legislature pie for his party.

He has tried arguing that the Tories will form another majority -- and the Liberals haven't done the job as the official opposition.

Most observers think the opposition really hasn't done much to damage the Tories during the campaign.

"They've taken maybe taken a couple chips out of what's solid granite," pollster Peter Donolo of The Strategic Counsel told CTV.ca. "There's no opposition party. The Liberals have been unable to establish themselves as the default beneficiaries of concern about the government."

"People do want change, but they don't know where to get it from," Albertan and former Reform party leader Preston Manning told CTV's Question Period on Sunday.

"The Liberal party really doesn't look like a government in waiting," University of Calgary political analyst Lisa Young told Canada AM on Monday. "They're $400,000 in debt, so they haven't been able to run much of a media campaign. So I think the weakness of the alternatives has been one of the things that has contributed to the strength of the Conservatives."

There are also two smaller parties of note.

The Wildrose Alliance is a conservative party that feels the governing Tories aren't right-wing enough. Leader Paul Hinman is currently the party's only MLA.

The Green Party has been running even with the NDP party but is expected to only challenge in a few ridings.

With a report from CTV's Jed Kahane and CTV Edmonton's Scott Roberts and files from The Canadian Press