Calgary Votes
Alberta’s referendum on Monday Oct 19
This is a plain guide for Calgary voters. It tells you where to vote, what to bring, and what each question asks. It does not tell you how to vote.
Election Day was Monday Oct 19.
Reader poll, not a scientific survey.
Loading the reader poll.
The 10 questions, in number order
Question 1 comes first here, through question 10. The colour cards farther down show the handout order, with question 10 first.
Each question is printed here in the exact words from Elections Alberta. The plain-language lines are a reading of those words. They are not an Elections Alberta interpretation. Elections Alberta will not interpret the questions. It points people to the Government of Alberta or to their MLA.
From elections.ab.ca.
Questions 1 to 9 came from recommendations of the Alberta Next Panel. Question 10 came from the citizen initiative process. That account is in a Government of Alberta booklet. The booklet is paid content and states a government position.
From albertareferendum2026.ca.
Question 10 was added after the Court of King’s Bench quashed a citizen petition on separation. The province has appealed.
From calgarychamber.com and alberta.ca.
CBC reports widespread confusion about the wording. People at information sessions have seemed overwhelmed and confused, and UBC linguist Carla Hudson Kam has warned about the risk of misinformation. Election workers cannot interpret the questions.
From cbc.ca.
Question 1
Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.Handed out second
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
In plain language
Do you want the Alberta government to take more control of immigration, in order to lower immigration, favour economic migration, and put Albertans first for new jobs?
What it leaves open
The question does not define sustainable levels. It does not define who counts as an Albertan for that job priority. Immigration is shared by the federal and provincial governments, so Alberta cannot make this change alone.
What a yes would do
A yes would say you support the government taking increased control of immigration for the purposes written in the question. The result is not binding. It would not by itself change federal immigration rules.
From elections.ab.ca and calgarychamber.com.
Question 2
Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.Handed out third
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
In plain language
Do you want a provincial law that limits provincially funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services, to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and people with an Alberta-approved immigration status?
What it leaves open
The question does not define an Alberta-approved immigration status. It names health care, education and other social services as examples, and it does not list every program.
What a yes would do
A yes would say you support introducing that law. The result is not binding. It would not by itself change who can use those programs today.
From elections.ab.ca.
Question 3
Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.Handed out fourth
Exact wording
Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?
In plain language
Citizens and permanent residents would keep the social supports they qualify for now. Do you want a law that makes people with a non-permanent legal immigration status live in Alberta for at least 12 months before they qualify for any provincially funded social support?
What it leaves open
The question does not list which programs count as provincially funded social supports. It does say citizens and permanent residents would continue to qualify as they do now.
What a yes would do
A yes would say you support introducing that 12-month residency law. The result is not binding. It would not by itself create the waiting period.
From elections.ab.ca.
Question 4
Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.Handed out fifth
Exact wording
Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family's use of the healthcare and education systems?
In plain language
Citizens and permanent residents would keep public health care and education as they do now. Do you want Alberta to charge a fee or premium, which the question calls reasonable, to people with a non-permanent immigration status for their own and their family’s use of health care and education?
What it leaves open
The question does not set the dollar amount of the fee. It uses the word reasonable and does not define it. The Calgary Chamber says emergency care cannot be denied regardless of coverage.
What a yes would do
A yes would say you support charging that fee or premium. The result is not binding. It would not by itself create the fee, and it would not allow emergency care to be refused for lack of coverage.
From elections.ab.ca and calgarychamber.com.
Question 5
Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.Handed out sixth
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
In plain language
Do you want a law that requires proof of citizenship, such as a passport, a birth certificate or a citizenship card, before a person can vote in an Alberta provincial election?
What it leaves open
The question does not say how that proof would be checked at a voting place. A passport is accepted today only as one of two pieces of ID.
What a yes would do
A yes would say you support introducing that proof-of-citizenship law for Alberta provincial elections. The result is not binding. It does not change the ID rules for this referendum.
From elections.ab.ca, calgarychamber.com and elections.ab.ca.
Question 6
Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.Handed out seventh
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?
In plain language
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change so that provinces, rather than Ottawa, choose the justices of the provincial King’s Bench and Court of Appeal?
What it leaves open
The question does not describe the selection process, and it does not say what role Ottawa would still have. A yes would not by itself change who appoints those judges.
What a yes would do
A yes would bind the Government of Alberta, under section 4 of the Referendum Act, to pursue that change within its own powers. The government must, as soon as practicable, take steps within its competence that it considers necessary or advisable. It need not implement a result that would contravene sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act, 1982. A yes would not amend the Constitution. The amendment would use the general formula, a resolution of Parliament plus resolutions of at least 7 provinces that together have at least 50 percent of the population.
From elections.ab.ca, canlii.org, kings-printer.alberta.ca, elections.ab.ca, cbc.ca and calgarychamber.com.
Question 7
Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.Handed out eighth
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?
In plain language
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change to abolish the federal Senate?
What it leaves open
The question does not say what would replace the Senate. Abolishing the Senate is not something Alberta can do by itself.
What a yes would do
A yes would bind the Government of Alberta, under section 4 of the Referendum Act, to pursue abolition within its own powers, with the same limit if the result would contravene sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act, 1982. A yes would not abolish the Senate. Abolishing the Senate needs the unanimous consent of the Senate, the House of Commons and all 10 provinces, under section 41(e) of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Supreme Court of Canada said so in Reference re Senate Reform, 2014 SCC 32. The 7-province formula does not apply to this question.
From elections.ab.ca, canlii.org, kings-printer.alberta.ca, elections.ab.ca and canlii.org.
Question 8
Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.Handed out ninth
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?
In plain language
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change so a province could opt out of federal programs in areas such as health care, education and social services, and still keep the related federal money for its own social programs?
What it leaves open
The question names health care, education and social services as examples. It does not name every program, and it does not describe how an opt-out would work. CBC describes this as a question about the federal spending power.
What a yes would do
A yes would bind the Government of Alberta, under section 4 of the Referendum Act, to pursue that change within its own powers, with the same Charter limit in sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act, 1982. A yes would not amend the Constitution. The amendment would use the general formula of Parliament plus at least 7 provinces with at least 50 percent of the population.
From elections.ab.ca, canlii.org, kings-printer.alberta.ca, elections.ab.ca, cbc.ca, cbc.ca and calgarychamber.com.
Question 9
Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.Handed out tenth
Exact wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province's laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province's laws and federal laws conflict?
In plain language
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change so that, when a provincial law and a federal law conflict in a provincial or shared area, the province’s law would win?
What it leaves open
The question does not list which subjects count as provincial or shared. CBC describes this as a question about federal paramountcy. The province has cited Bill C-69, the emissions cap, electricity regulations and firearms law as examples.
What a yes would do
A yes would bind the Government of Alberta, under section 4 of the Referendum Act, to pursue that change within its own powers, with the same Charter limit in sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act, 1982. A yes would not amend the Constitution. The amendment would use the general formula of Parliament plus at least 7 provinces with at least 50 percent of the population.
From elections.ab.ca, canlii.org, kings-printer.alberta.ca, elections.ab.ca, cbc.ca, calgarychamber.com and cbc.ca.
Question 10
Not binding. Order in council 160/2026.Handed out first
Exact wording
Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
Option 1. Alberta should remain a province of Canada.
Option 2. The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.
In plain language
This question asks you to pick one of two options. Option 1 says Alberta should remain a province of Canada. Option 2 says the provincial government should start the legal steps toward a later binding vote on separation. It is not a yes or no question.
What it leaves open
The question does not set a date for that later vote, and it does not set the wording of that later ballot. Option 2 does not itself take Alberta out of Canada.
What Option 2 would do
Option 2 would not separate Alberta from Canada. It would direct the Government of Alberta to start the constitutional process for a later binding provincial referendum on separation. Elections Alberta says this question is not to be binding. Option 1 would say Alberta should remain a province of Canada. Neither option changes the Constitution by itself.
From elections.ab.ca, calgarychamber.com and abpost.ca.
Where and when
Election Day is Monday Oct 19, 2026. Every voting place is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Election Day you must vote at your assigned place.
From elections.ab.ca.
Advance voting runs Tuesday Oct 13 through Saturday Oct 17. You may use any advance location in your electoral division. You cannot vote outside your division.
From elections.ab.ca.
To find your places, use the lookup at map.elections.ab.ca. It asks for your home address. Your Where to Vote card has the same information. This page does not list voting places.
From map.elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
You can register at the voting place. If you are already registered and you have not moved, you do not need to do anything before you go.
From elections.ab.ca.
Vote by mail uses a special ballot. Applications closed on Sept 25. A completed ballot must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct 16.
From elections.ab.ca.
If you are an employee, you are entitled to 3 consecutive hours away from work so you can vote. Those hours are paid where the employer has to add time to make the 3 hours.
From elections.ab.ca.
Provincial
Elections Alberta runs the vote
This referendum is provincial. Elections Alberta runs it. The City of Calgary does not. City wards do not apply. You vote by provincial electoral division.
From elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Municipal
What the City of Calgary is doing
Council passed a motion by Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Coun. Andrew Yule. The vote was 14 to 1. Coun. Mike Jamieson opposed it. The motion affirms Calgary as “a vital part of Alberta and Canada”. It passed without debate. It does not tell anyone how to vote.
From calgaryherald.com and calgarydispatch.com.
Calgary Transit, which is municipal, runs a shuttle from Somerset-Bridlewood Station at the Route 75 stop to the Spruce Meadows advance poll. It leaves every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. The last trip leaves Spruce Meadows at 8:10 p.m. Regular fares apply. The shuttle runs Oct 13 to Oct 17 only. It does not run on Oct 19.
From calgarytransit.com.
What a yes, or Option 2, would do
Under section 4 of the Referendum Act, a majority on a constitutional question is binding on the government that initiated the referendum. The government must, as soon as practicable, take any steps within the competence of the Government of Alberta that it considers necessary or advisable to implement the result.
From canlii.org and kings-printer.alberta.ca.
A change added on December 11, 2025, in Bill 14, says the government need not implement a result that would contravene sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
From elections.ab.ca.
Questions 6 to 9 are those constitutional questions. A yes binds the Alberta government to pursue the change within its own powers. It does not change the Constitution. Questions 1 to 5 and question 10 are not binding. Their orders in council say they are not to be binding. This is a reading of the statute. It is not a court ruling.
From canlii.org, elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
No result changes the Constitution directly. Questions 6, 8 and 9 would use the general amending formula. That is Parliament plus at least 7 provinces that together have at least 50 percent of the population. CBC describes that formula for question 6, and the Calgary Chamber describes it as well.
From calgarychamber.com and cbc.ca.
Question 7 is different. Abolishing the Senate needs unanimous consent of the Senate, the House of Commons and all 10 provinces under section 41(e). The Supreme Court of Canada said so in Reference re Senate Reform, 2014 SCC 32. The 7-province formula does not apply to question 7.
From canlii.org.
On question 10, Option 2 would not separate Alberta. It would direct the start of a process toward a later binding referendum.
From calgarychamber.com and abpost.ca.
Immigration is shared federal and provincial jurisdiction, so the changes in the immigration questions cannot be made by Alberta alone. On question 4, emergency care cannot be denied regardless of coverage. On question 5, a passport is accepted today only as one of two pieces of ID.
From calgarychamber.com.
Both sides, with names
These are arguments other people have made. They are here so you can see who said what. This guide does not pick a side.
Across questions 1 to 9
For a yes
The Government of Alberta and Premier Danielle Smith urge a yes to all nine. About $4 million was spent on advertising. CBC reported that few other prominent voices are campaigning for a yes.
From cbc.ca.
The government site says the questions “define how we grow, how we protect the services every Albertan depends on and how we increase our sovereignty within a united Canada”. That site states a position. It is not a neutral source.
From albertareferendum2026.ca.
Alberta Women for Independence, whose spokesperson is Kathy Flett, supports a yes. Keith Wilson calls the nine a “political gimmick” and says he will vote yes.
From cbc.ca.
Other named positions
Alberta’s Voice, led by Stephen Carter, is running the organized “No to the Nine” campaign.
From cbc.ca.
Jeffrey Rath of the Alberta Prosperity Project urges people to “decline the 9”.
From cbc.ca.
Former premiers Ed Stelmach, Alison Redford and Rachel Notley, in a joint op-ed, oppose the immigration questions, as does CUPE Alberta. The Alberta NDP’s flyers say “Vote to remain. No to the rest.” That sentence is their message, not a recommendation from this guide.
From cbc.ca.
Alberta’s Catholic bishops and Anglican bishops have raised concerns without telling people how to vote. Calgary Chamber CEO Deborah Yedlin calls a suggested health fee an “extra cost” for employers.
From cbc.ca.
Former premier Jason Kenney has questioned whether the nine needed to be referendums.
From cbc.ca.
Question 1
Question 2
For a yes
Question 3
For a yes
Question 4
For a yes
Against, or concerns
Ethel Tungohan and other experts cite unclear scope and uncertainty about who is affected.
From cbc.ca.
Ed Stelmach, Alison Redford and Rachel Notley say these proposals would harm the economy and the ability to attract workers.
Deborah Yedlin, CEO of the Calgary Chamber, calls a suggested health fee an “extra cost” for employers. She is raising a concern, not telling people how to vote.
From cbc.ca.
Question 5
For a yes
The Government of Alberta says the law would ensure that only citizens decide outcomes.
From cbc.ca.
Research Co. found 66 percent support for this question. That is a survey result, not a reason this guide prefers either side.
From cbc.ca.
Against, or concerns
Elections Alberta calls fraud “exceptionally rare”.
From cbc.ca.
Andrea Lawlor of McMaster University and Lori Williams of Mount Royal University say the requirement could disenfranchise eligible citizens.
From thealbertan.com and cbc.ca.
The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre raises concerns under section 3 of the Charter.
From aclrc.com.
Question 6
For a yes
Justice Minister Mickey Amery says provinces “lack a strong, meaningful voice”. Premier Smith cites “distinct legal traditions”. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe backs a provincial role.
From cbc.ca.
Collin May of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute says the current judicial advisory committees are ideologically tilted.
From cbc.ca.
Question 7
For a yes
The Government of Alberta urges a yes to all nine, and the question itself describes the Senate as unelected.
From cbc.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Against, or concerns
A senator told CTV that abolition is “next to impossible”.
From ctvnews.ca.
The Supreme Court of Canada, in the 2014 Senate Reform reference, said abolishing the Senate needs unanimous consent of the Senate, the House of Commons and every province.
From canlii.org.
Question 8
For a yes
The Government of Alberta and Premier Danielle Smith urge a yes to all nine, including this one.
From cbc.ca.
Against, or concerns
Alberta’s Voice, led by Stephen Carter, is campaigning “No to the Nine”, which includes this question.
From cbc.ca.
A CBC article discusses experts on this question. This guide does not quote them, because those lines were not confirmed against the article text.
Question 9
For a yes
The Government of Alberta urges a yes, and it cites Bill C-69, the emissions cap, electricity regulations and firearms law as examples of the conflicts it has in mind.
From cbc.ca and calgarychamber.com.
Against, or concerns
Alberta’s Voice, led by Stephen Carter, is campaigning “No to the Nine”, which includes this question.
From cbc.ca.
A CBC article discusses experts on this question. This guide does not quote them, because those lines were not confirmed against the article text.
Question 10
For Option 1
Forever Canadian, associated with Thomas Lukaszuk, urges Option 1.
From cbc.ca.
The Calgary Chamber cites economic risks of separation. Calgary Dispatch reports a University of Calgary School of Public Policy range of $50 billion to $170 billion over the first 5 years. That is one reported estimate, not a finding of this guide.
From calgarychamber.com and calgarydispatch.com.
For Option 2
Let Alberta Decide, Pathway to Independence and Alberta’s Choice are registered pro-independence advertisers. Their own arguments were not collected, so this guide does not quote them.
From efpublic.elections.ab.ca and cbc.ca.
What surveys reported
A Janet Brown poll for CBC found 54 percent agreeing and 42 percent disagreeing on more immigration control, 45 percent agreeing and 52 percent disagreeing on limiting services, and 49 percent agreeing and 45 percent disagreeing on constitutional changes. Close to half of people were undecided or unfamiliar with questions 1 to 9.
From cbc.ca.
What to bring
Pick the line that fits you. The list under it is the ID path Elections Alberta describes for that situation. You can register at the voting place.
One piece of government photo ID is enough when it shows your name, your photo and your current physical address. An Alberta driver’s licence that shows that address qualifies. A licence that shows only a post office box is still fine if you are registered at your physical address. A passport does not count as that one piece. A Where to Vote card is not ID.
From elections.ab.ca.
A student card can be one of two pieces of ID. Both pieces must show your full name, and one of them must show your current physical address. If you live in campus housing, an authorized person can sign an attestation form ahead of time. A passport by itself is not enough.
From elections.ab.ca.
A lease can be the piece that shows your current physical address. You still need two pieces that show your full name, unless you have one government photo ID with your name, photo and current address. Renters are also covered by an attestation form signed ahead of time by an authorized person. A Where to Vote card is not ID.
From elections.ab.ca.
If you use a shelter or a support centre, an authorized person there can sign an attestation form ahead of time. People in care facilities or shelters may vote at a mobile station without ID. A Where to Vote card is not ID.
From elections.ab.ca.
ID Elections Alberta accepts includes a Certificate of Indian Status, a First Nation membership card, a Métis Nation card, an Otipemisiwak Métis Government card, and a Métis Settlement card. If you live on a First Nation or a Métis Settlement, an authorized person can sign an attestation form ahead of time. The ordinary rules still sit underneath that. One government photo ID with your name, photo and current physical address, or two pieces with your full name and one with your current address.
From elections.ab.ca.
Newcomers use the same ID rules. One government photo ID with your name, your photo and your current physical address is enough. A passport by itself is not enough. Otherwise bring two pieces that show your full name, and make sure one shows your current physical address. Elections Alberta accepts more than 50 types, including a bank statement, a lease, a utility bill, a student card or an Alberta Health Services wristband. If you live in campus housing, a shelter or a support centre, an attestation form signed ahead of time can be used. You can register at the voting place.
From elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
How the ballot works
You will be handed 10 separate ballots, and each one is colour-coded. They are given out in this order. Question 10 comes first, then questions 1 through 9. The colours in this diagram are only here to tell the ballots apart. They are not the official ballot colours. Ballots sent by mail are white. Question 10 asks you to choose Option 1 or Option 2. This diagram marks those choices A and B so the two options are easy to tell apart.
From elections.ab.ca.
Question 10 comes first
Handed out first. Not binding. Order in council 160/2026.
Question 1
Handed out second. Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.
Do you want the Alberta government to take more control of immigration, in order to lower immigration, favour economic migration, and put Albertans first for new jobs?
Question 2
Handed out third. Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.
Do you want a provincial law that limits provincially funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services, to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and people with an Alberta-approved immigration status?
Question 3
Handed out fourth. Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.
Citizens and permanent residents would keep the social supports they qualify for now. Do you want a law that makes people with a non-permanent legal immigration status live in Alberta for at least 12 months before they qualify for any provincially funded social support?
Question 4
Handed out fifth. Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.
Citizens and permanent residents would keep public health care and education as they do now. Do you want Alberta to charge a fee or premium, which the question calls reasonable, to people with a non-permanent immigration status for their own and their family’s use of health care and education?
Question 5
Handed out sixth. Not binding. Order in council 110/2026.
Do you want a law that requires proof of citizenship, such as a passport, a birth certificate or a citizenship card, before a person can vote in an Alberta provincial election?
Question 6
Handed out seventh. Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change so that provinces, rather than Ottawa, choose the justices of the provincial King’s Bench and Court of Appeal?
Question 7
Handed out eighth. Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change to abolish the federal Senate?
Question 8
Handed out ninth. Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change so a province could opt out of federal programs in areas such as health care, education and social services, and still keep the related federal money for its own social programs?
Question 9
Handed out tenth. Binding on the Alberta government. Order in council 109/2026.
Do you want Alberta to work with other willing provinces on a constitutional change so that, when a provincial law and a federal law conflict in a provincial or shared area, the province’s law would win?
Language help
Elections Alberta’s how-to-vote guide is in 27 languages, including Blackfoot, Dene, Michif, Plains-Cree, Woods-Cree and Stoney. Printed copies are at every voting place. The guide explains the voting process. The ballot questions themselves are not translated.
From elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Election workers cannot interpret the questions. You may bring a friend or family member to help you read or mark the ballot. That person must take an oath of secrecy.
From cbc.ca and elections.ab.ca.
The Government of Alberta has fact sheets on the questions in 14 languages. They are Arabic, Farsi, French, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese. Those sheets state a government position. They are not a neutral guide.
From albertareferendum2026.ca.
Common questions
Is this a vote to leave Canada?
Question 10, Option 2, would not separate Alberta. It would tell the provincial government to start the legal process toward a later binding referendum on separation. The other nine questions are about immigration, voting ID, courts, the Senate, federal programs and federal paramountcy. None of them changes the Constitution by itself.
From calgarychamber.com, abpost.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Can I vote at any voting place?
During advance voting, Tuesday Oct 13 through Saturday Oct 17, you may use any advance location in your electoral division. You cannot vote outside that division. On Election Day, Monday Oct 19, you must use your assigned place. Look it up at map.elections.ab.ca. This page does not list addresses.
From elections.ab.ca, elections.ab.ca and map.elections.ab.ca.
Does my city ward matter?
No. The City of Calgary does not run this vote, and city wards do not apply. You vote in your provincial electoral division. Elections Alberta runs the referendum.
From elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
What time can I vote?
Voting places are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day and during the advance days. The Spruce Meadows transit shuttle is separate. Its last trip leaves Spruce Meadows at 8:10 p.m., and it runs only from Oct 13 to Oct 17.
From elections.ab.ca and calgarytransit.com.
Can I take time off work?
Employees are entitled to 3 consecutive hours away from work to vote. The time is paid where the employer has to add hours to provide those 3 hours.
From elections.ab.ca.
Can I still vote by mail?
Applications for a special ballot closed on Sept 25. A completed mail ballot must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct 16. In-person voting is the advance period through Oct 17, and Election Day on Oct 19.
From elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Do I have to register before I go?
You can register at the voting place. If you are already registered and you have not moved, you do not need to do anything first.
From elections.ab.ca.
Will someone at the voting place explain the questions?
No. Election workers cannot interpret the questions. Elections Alberta will not interpret them either. It directs people to the Government of Alberta or to their MLA. Read the exact wording and the plain-language lines on this page before you go.
From cbc.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Can someone help me mark the ballot?
You may bring a friend or family member to help you read or mark the ballot. They must take an oath of secrecy.
From elections.ab.ca.
Are the questions translated?
The questions on the ballot are not translated. Elections Alberta’s how-to-vote guide is in 27 languages, including six Indigenous languages, and printed copies are at every voting place. That guide covers the process of voting, not the meaning of the questions. Government fact sheets exist in 14 languages, and they state a government position.
From elections.ab.ca, elections.ab.ca and albertareferendum2026.ca.
Does my choice change the law that night?
No result changes the Constitution directly. A yes on questions 6 to 9 binds the Alberta government to pursue the change within its own powers, subject to the Charter limit in sections 1 to 35.1. Questions 1 to 5 and question 10 are not binding. Option 2 on question 10 starts a process toward a later vote. It does not separate Alberta.
From canlii.org, elections.ab.ca, elections.ab.ca, calgarychamber.com and abpost.ca.
Results night
Ballots are counted by hand. Question 10 is counted first. Advance ballots and special ballots are counted from 5 p.m. on Oct 19.
From elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Unofficial results are posted within 48 hours at elections.ab.ca/elections/election-results/. Official results are expected around Oct 29.
From elections.ab.ca, elections.ab.ca and elections.ab.ca.
Printable guides and other explainers
cbc.ca. CBC’s guide includes a simple version, a closer look at each question, and a translated printable graphic by artist Sam Hester.
elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta’s how-to-vote guide is the multilingual one, in 27 languages. It explains the process, not the questions.
elections.ab.ca. The accessible-voting page is where Elections Alberta points to that language help.
globalnews.ca. Global News has a questions explainer.
beforevoting.ca. beforevoting.ca is an independent per-question explainer.
nationalmagazine.ca. CBA National has a podcast with constitutional scholars.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these pages. The link text is the site name.
- elections.ab.ca Election Day, hours, assigned place, and mail-ballot deadlines
- elections.ab.ca Advance voting, registration, time off work, and when advance ballots are counted
- map.elections.ab.ca Address lookup for voting places
- elections.ab.ca Exact question wording, binding notes on the orders in council, ballot order, and hand count
- elections.ab.ca ID options, attestation, and accepted cards
- elections.ab.ca How-to-vote guide in 27 languages
- elections.ab.ca Language count, Indigenous languages, and printed copies at voting places
- elections.ab.ca A friend or family member may help, after an oath of secrecy
- elections.ab.ca Where unofficial results are posted
- elections.ab.ca December 2025 limit on implementing a result that would contravene the Charter and related sections
- efpublic.elections.ab.ca Registered referendum third-party advertisers
- canlii.org Referendum Act, section 4
- kings-printer.alberta.ca Referendum Act, official PDF
- canlii.org Reference re Senate Reform, 2014 SCC 32
- albertareferendum2026.ca Government of Alberta booklet. Paid content with a stated position
- albertareferendum2026.ca Government of Alberta referendum site. A for-side source, not a neutral one
- albertareferendum2026.ca Government fact sheets in 14 languages. They state a position
- alberta.ca Premier’s address on how question 10 was added
- calgarychamber.com Calgary Chamber explainer on legal effect, shared jurisdiction, and examples
- abpost.ca Option 2 starts a process. It does not itself separate Alberta
- cbc.ca CBC guide, including spending power, paramountcy, and a translated graphic
- cbc.ca Wording confusion, and that election workers cannot interpret the questions
- cbc.ca Named yes, no, and abstain positions, and the Janet Brown poll
- cbc.ca Named arguments on question 1
- cbc.ca Named arguments on questions 2 to 4
- cbc.ca Named arguments on question 5
- thealbertan.com Lawlor and Williams on question 5
- aclrc.com Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre on Charter section 3 and question 5
- cbc.ca Named arguments on question 6, and the 7-province amending formula
- ctvnews.ca A senator on question 7
- cbc.ca Forever Canadian and Thomas Lukaszuk on Option 1
- calgaryherald.com Council motion, 14 to 1
- calgarydispatch.com The same council motion, and a reported cost range for independence
- calgarytransit.com Spruce Meadows advance shuttle
- globalnews.ca Global News questions explainer
- nationalmagazine.ca CBA National podcast with constitutional scholars
- beforevoting.ca Independent per-question explainer