CTV News Edmonton and Global News Edmonton have reported:

Albertans can begin voting in person on Tuesday in advance of the province’s Oct. 19 referendum, which asks 10 questions on immigration, constitutional reform and whether Alberta should remain in Canada. Elections Alberta says it is prepared for the vote and is planning for turnout of up to 85 per cent, while officials expect the hand count to continue into the early hours of Oct. 20.

Advance voting runs Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 310 locations across Alberta. Voters must attend a station in their electoral division during the advance period. On referendum day, just over 1,400 polling stations will open, and voters must go to their assigned location.

“We’ve completed scenario planning, and our teams are prepared to handle any issue that may emerge,” said Maia Hanrahan, a spokesperson for Elections Alberta. “We are ready to deliver.” She said the agency is encouraging people concerned about long lines on Oct. 19 to vote early and to review the questions before arriving.

The 10 questions will appear on ballots in different colours, with a separate ballot box for each question. Voters may mark some, all or none of them. The first nine questions cover immigration reform and constitutional matters; Premier Danielle Smith wants a mandate on the latter to lobby provincial counterparts across the country. The immigration questions include whether temporary workers and residents should pay fees to access services such as health care and education. The 10th asks whether Alberta should remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving Confederation.

Elections Alberta modelling suggests people who know how they plan to vote may need about two minutes in the booth. Voters unfamiliar with the questions could take up to four minutes, while those with lower literacy skills, who read more slowly or whose first language is not English could need nearly six minutes. There is no time limit for marking ballots.

“Electors are all different in their voting approach,” Hanrahan said. “The length of time it will take an elector to mark their ballot may depend on different factors, and the above numbers are approximates based on our modelling.” She asked voters to treat election workers, whom she described as friends and neighbours, kindly. Officials will be available to answer questions.

Registered voters should receive a “where to vote” card in the mail. Those who do not receive one can use the Elections Alberta website to find their voting location and review the ballot questions. Voters need one government-issued identification document showing their correct name, current address and photo, such as a driver’s licence. Alternatively, they may show two documents bearing their full name, with one displaying their current address.

Elections Alberta lists 50 acceptable identification documents that may be used as one of the two pieces, including a library card, hunting licence, bank statement or vehicle registration. Expired identification is also accepted if the name is correct, including an expired Certificate of Indian Status Card. In special circumstances, voters can bring an attestation signed by an authorized person, such as a First Nation band manager or student housing staff member.

People who are not registered will be asked by a voting officer to sign a declaration confirming their eligibility. The declaration includes that they are Canadian citizens, at least 18 years old and normally reside in Alberta. Anyone still in line when polls close at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote, officials say.

Smith’s referendum has been described by Elections Alberta as a major logistical undertaking. The agency has said it needs about 45 million printed ballots and at least 60,000 workers to administer the process and count votes by hand. As of Friday morning, about 44,000 workers had been hired, Hanrahan said, adding recruitment would continue until voting day. “We’ve had a strong response from Albertans; and we’re grateful to them,” she said.

The agency expects turnout of 80 to 85 per cent among Alberta’s nearly three million electors, or about three million registered voters. Roughly 658,000 mail-in ballots were requested last month, equivalent to about 20 per cent of registered voters. By Friday, Elections Alberta had received just over 300,000 completed mail-in ballots, ahead of the Friday return deadline.

The mail-in process encountered problems. About 300 early recipients found that some of the 10 questions were missing from their ballot packages. Elections Alberta blamed its service provider and mailed replacement ballots. Some voters also raised concerns about an old form requiring them to declare they could not vote in person and warning of hefty fines for misuse. The agency said the government had changed the rules so voters no longer needed to provide a reason for voting by mail, and advised them to cross out that form and complete the rest of the declaration.

Earlier this week, Elections Alberta said about 3,000 returned mail ballots had missing documents, such as proof of identification, or problems with declaration forms. The agency said it was contacting each affected voter to resolve the issue so the ballot could be counted. Smith told reporters the agency’s work with voters to correct mistakes showed it was managing the referendum process well.

The Opposition NDP has criticized Smith for underfunding the electoral system and setting Elections Alberta up to fail with a large referendum. Smith acknowledged Wednesday that there “may be issues” to address after voting. “I’m sure that Elections Alberta will have its own report on how things went and to see if there’s any modifications that need to be made to the process,” she said.

By law, ballots must be counted by hand within 48 hours. Officials plan to tally question 10, on separation, first, with early results expected after 8 p.m. on Oct. 19. The final count for that question is expected in the early hours of Oct. 20, while results for the other nine questions should be completed and announced by Wednesday. Elections Alberta has said the hand count means results may not be known until early morning on Oct. 20.

The Canadian Press first published reports on the referendum on Oct. 11, 2026. One was written by Jack Farrell.