Brace for lineups, Alberta referendum advance voting begins 9 a.m. Tuesday

Albertans can cast their referendum ballots in-person beginning Tuesday morning with the start of advance voting.

The referendum includes 10 questions on immigration policy, constitutional reform, and if Alberta should remain in Canada or begin the process of holding a second, binding referendum on seceding.

Voters can cast their ballots at any advance voting place in their assigned electoral division.

Many of the 310 advance polling stations across the province will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Oct 13 to Oct. 19, but Elections Alberta notes that some days and hours of operation may vary for some locations.

It notes that every electoral division will have at least one place open for the full advance voting period.

Most Albertans looking to vote this week, or next Monday, should receive voter information details in the mail from Elections Alberta.

Government-issued identification with a voter’s name, current address and photo is preferred, though voters can also use two pieces of identification that include a full name with one of those having to display a current address.

Elections Alberta’s website lists over 50 types of identification that can be used for that purpose.

Those not registered to vote can sign a declaration confirming eligibility.

The experience should be somewhat akin to a normal provincial general election, though there are differences that could lead to long waits.

One is the presence of 10 ballots instead of one. Elections Alberta has said it has performed tests to see how long people take to complete the voting, with some taking up to four minutes behind the screen to do so, though many did so in half that time.

Elections Alberta forecasts a voter turnout of between 80 and 85 per cent compared to an average turnout of just over 55 per cent for the last five provincial elections.

It suggests becoming familiar with the questions before heading out to vote to speed things along.

It now may be too late to vote by mail via the special ballot packages, with Elections Alberta asking those be sent in by last Friday. The agency says it must receive a completed package in the mail by 5 p.m. this coming Friday.

Elections Alberta received, processed and verified almost 221,000 completed special ballot packages as of last week, with 3,000 returned for various errors.

Alberta election law requires all votes for all 10 questions to be counted within 48 hours of polls closing on Oct. 19. Counting has to occur by hand after the province outlawed the use of tabulators in May of 2024.

The government has said counting will begin with Question 10 regarding separation.

On voting day, polls will be open between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Elections Alberta has said ballot counting will begin soon after voting closes with results publicly reported gradually throughout the evening, but also that a final result isn’t likely to come until between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Oct. 20.

Results of the other nine questions are not expected until sometime Oct. 21.