Alberta referendum draws 174,532 voters on first advance polling day

Elections Alberta said Tuesday that 174,532 people voted on the first of five advance polling days ahead of the Oct. 19 vote. That compares with an average of 151,727 voters per advance polling day in the 2023 provincial general election.

Albertans are being asked whether they want to begin the legal process for a second, binding referendum on independence. The current vote does not ask them to decide whether the province should separate.

The referendum contains 10 government-initiated questions, most concerning immigration and constitutional issues. Only one of those questions addresses the possibility of holding an independence referendum.

Both separatist and pro-Canada campaigners have increasingly shifted their attention from persuading voters to making sure their supporters get to the polls.

Thomas Lukaszuk, the former Alberta cabinet minister spearheading the Forever Canadian campaign, said the campaign has approximately 18,000 volunteers working to get supporters out to vote ahead of Oct. 19.