Saturday’s Conservative Party nomination in Calgary Centre can’t come soon enough for numerous riding residents who say they’ve been bombarded by candidates’ phone calls, emails and drop-in visits ever since signing up with the party in order to vote.

“It’s truly outrageous,” said Donovan Lawrence, who in the past few weeks has counted 85 phone calls on his cellphone and at least as many emails, in addition to frequent campaign visits at his front door.

“I feel trapped,” Lawrence said. “It’s gotten to the point where I’m afraid to leave my house. It’s crazy.”

Bryan Fenske, who signed up online with the party a couple of weeks ago, tells a similar story.

“The telephone rings a minimum of seven or eight times a day,” he said. “And what really annoys me – this is a pet peeve of mine – is that not one of them has been a live call. They’re all recorded announcements.”

Tim Kane said he’s been getting 10 to 15 calls each evening after taking out a first-time party membership earlier this month.

“I signed up for it and I wish I didn’t, just because it is ridiculous,” he said.

Kane said he’s so turned off by the experience he no longer plans to vote on Saturday.

More on the riding of Calgary Centre:

• Lee Richardson served as the Conservative MP for Calgary Centre from June 2004 to May 2012, when he resigned his seat in order to work for Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
• The seat is considered safe for the Conservatives, meaning the winner of Saturday’s nomination vote will likely become the next MP.