LIVE — Alberta referendum: Polling stations to open at 9 a.m. | What you need to know

Voters get their say today on Alberta’s place in Canada, potential constitutional reform, and policies as they relate to immigration.

The historic referendum vote, described by Elections Alberta officials during a media briefing last month as the largest such exercise in Canadian history, will consist of 10 separate ballots for each of the questions posed to voters.

A large number of electors have already taken the opportunity to cast their vote early using mail-in ballots or advance polls.

As of Sunday, 837,791 ballots were cast in advance voting and Elections Alberta had received and processed 519,082 mail-in or special ballots. The 1,356,873 total represents a turnout of 43 per cent from early voting alone.

Public opinion surveys had indicated high interest in the vote and Elections Alberta has also been anticipating strong turnout, with electors planning to vote Monday being urged to go as early as they can.

Government regulations say the elections agency has 48 hours to provide unofficial results from a referendum with seven or more questions. It is expected that ballots for Question 10 on Alberta’s future in Canada will be counted first.

Stay with Postmedia as we provide comprehensive, continuing coverage of this unprecedented public ballot.

Albertans will cast their ballots Monday in a historic referendum that could have lasting impacts on the political landscape, regardless of the vote’s results.

The separatist movement isn’t going anywhere, while the ramifications of the vote could affect the inner workings of the governing United Conservative Party, experts tell Postmedia.

— Devon Dekuyper

In the run-up to voting day, Elections Alberta’s fight against online misinformation has gone into overdrive.

The agency has been monitoring social media for false or misleading claims about the referendum, including posts about voting locations, special ballots and how votes are counted.

“We aim to be the source of truth for Albertans who are looking for accurate non-partisan information for election events,” said Michelle Gurney, spokesperson for Elections Alberta.

Elections Alberta acquired social media and media monitoring tools in February 2025 to support its communications team’s proactive efforts and also has an information integrity unit that conducts additional monitoring.

Gurney said the agency does not respond to every discussion online, but instead focuses on claims that could undermine trust in the electoral system, disrupt voting or affect an elector’s willingness or ability to vote.

The agency said it has seen misinformation about advance voting dates, voting locations, voter registration, third-party advertising and special ballots.

It has also encountered claims about whether election workers mark ballots at voting locations, which Elections Alberta said is one of several steps used to protect the integrity of the voting process.

The agency monitors social media platforms where it is tagged, responding to claims and directing Albertans to accurate information.

Posts that require further review can be sent to its compliance team to assess how they apply to the Election Act.

Elections Alberta is also reminding voters about ballot secrecy, with Section 106 of Alberta’s Election Act prohibiting voters from showing their marked ballots in a way that reveals their choice.

Albertans who encounter questionable information about the referendum can contact Elections Alberta for clarification or find information at elections.ab.ca.

— Cayley Carmichael

Supporters on both sides of the 10 referendum questions took to the streets yesterday to make their case to voters. Calgary was one of many locations hosting pro-Canada rallies, while separatist campaigners gathered outside the legislature in Edmonton.

The Alberta Federation of Labour originally organized 15 rallies across the province Saturday but cancelled its Okotoks event last-minute due to heavy winds. An independence rally organized by Let Alberta Decide — slated to start at 3 p.m. outside the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton — was delayed due to the weather but got started an hour later.

— Payton Delisle-Miller

When it comes to the Oct. 19 referendum, most Albertans are ready to move on from the vote and want the government to put the issue to bed.

Results from a survey by Abacus Data show 67 per cent of respondents said that after the Oct. 19 referendum, they want the government to move on and focus on issues such as affordability, health care and job security. Another 22 per cent want the government to continue to press for greater provincial autonomy.

— Cindy Tran

Election day is Monday, with voting places open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Every voter is assigned an election-day voting location based on their place of residence. Voters can find their assigned location through Elections Alberta’s Where to Vote tool.

To vote in the referendum, you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old and ordinarily a resident in Alberta.

A person’s ordinary residence is typically the place where they live, sleep and intend to return to when they are away.

Voters need to prove their identity and address before receiving a ballot.

Elections Alberta accepts multiple forms of identification, including government-issued identification and documents such as utility bills, bank statements and residential leases.

Voters who do not have the required identification may be able to have another eligible elector attest to their identity and address.

Elections Alberta stopped accepting special ballots as of 5 p.m. Friday. Its status can be checked via a confirmation link provided by the elections agency. If the ballot is not marked as accepted and voted by 5 p.m. Sunday, voters may go to their assigned polling station to vote in person on Monday. Don’t bring your special ballots to the polling station, as they can’t be accepted or discarded there, Elections Alberta said.

There are 10 referendum questions, and each question will appear on its own ballot.

For in-person voting, the ballots are numbered and colour-coded so voters can distinguish between the questions.

Voters will mark each ballot separately and place them in the ballot box.

Voters do not have to answer every question, as each ballot is counted separately, so leaving one question blank does not invalidate votes cast on the others.

Elections Alberta has information about voter registration, identification, voting locations, advance voting and special ballots on its website.

The agency can also be reached by phone at 1-877-422-8683.

— Cayley Carmichael

Elections Alberta says the possibility of manipulation in Monday’s referendum vote is extremely unlikely because of several layers of checks the agency uses.

Postmedia Calgary spoke to Elections Alberta spokesperson Maia Hanrahan about how the agency protects the sanctity of the vote from bad actors, including concerns about the considerable number of ballots received by mail.

— Hiren Mansukhani

With so much of the focus on the question of separation, campaigners going door-to-door have found that only around 10 per cent of people have a good grasp of the other nine questions.

A recent survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute found that one in five Albertans find the questions confusing or difficult to understand — and that number jumps to one in three for those aged 18 to 34.

With help from a few experts, here’s a breakdown of what each question is asking, and what you need to know before heading to the polls.

— Devon Dekuyper

Many Albertans would have different answers if Monday’s referendum questions were to be worded differently, a survey found.

In an experiment conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, poll results were collected for the 10 existing referendum questions as they will appear on the ballot, and compared with results for the same questions, but phrased according to Angus Reid’s own best practices for polling.

The results showed Albertans’ answers would vary significantly, depending on exactly how the question is asked.

— Devon Dekuyper

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