Alberta’s referendum votes have started to roll in, and preliminary numbers show how Calgary voters are weighing in on the province’s big questions.
The Oct. 19 referendum asked Albertans to weigh in on 10 questions covering immigration, access to provincially funded services, voting requirements and proposed changes to the Canadian Constitution.
The ballot also included a question about Alberta’s future in Canada. Question 10 asked voters whether the province should remain in Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process required to hold a future binding referendum on separation.
As of writing, looking specifically at question 10, Calgary-South East has recorded the highest share of votes for the referendum option so far, with 23.3 per cent of votes cast supporting it. Calgary-Hays followed at 22.1 per cent, while Calgary-Fish Creek came in at 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, Calgary-Bhullar-McCall has recorded the lowest share of votes for the referendum option, at 10.7 per cent, followed by Calgary-Edgemont at 14.3 per cent and Calgary-Falconridge at 14.6 per cent.
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These numbers are preliminary and may change as more voting areas report their totals.
Across Alberta, early results show more voters supporting eight of the nine other referendum questions. Question five, which asks whether voters should have to show proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections, has the biggest gap so far, with over 650,000 votes in support compared to 380,000 opposed.
More voters are also supporting questions six, seven and nine, which cover provincial court appointments, abolishing the Senate and giving provincial laws priority over conflicting federal laws in certain areas.
Question eight is the closest race so far, with almost 480,000 voters opposed to the proposal and more than 500,00 in support. It asks whether provinces should be able to opt out of certain federal programs that fall under provincial jurisdiction without losing the associated funding.
On question 10, almost 1.43 million voters voted to keep Alberta in Canada, compared with over 460,000 who support starting the process for a future separation referendum.