More than 174,500 Albertans cast their ballots in the province’s referendum on the first day of advance polls Tuesday, as both separatist and pro-Canada groups focus on getting their supporters out in a campaign where experts say turnout will be critical.
Elections Alberta said Wednesday that a total of 174,532 people voted on the first of five advance polling days ahead of the Oct. 19 vote. For context, advanced polls in the 2023 provincial general election saw an average of 151,727 Albertans vote per day.
With the roughly 418,000 mail-in ballots already approved by Elections Alberta, early turnout for the Oct. 19 referendum — which includes a question on whether the province should begin the process to hold a vote on separating from Canada — looks to be strong.
For both separatist and pro-Canada campaigners, the focus has shifted from attempting to persuade voters to their side and is now increasingly on getting their supporters to the polls.
Thomas Lukaszuk, the former Alberta cabinet minister who has been spearheading the Forever Canadian campaign, said they have approximately 18,000 volunteers working to get out the vote ahead of Oct. 19.
“Albertans are very passionate about being Canadian … so I’m not surprised that Albertans are lining up to cast their votes, because they’re quite angry that they’re being put through this, that they have to prove to someone how proud they are to be Canadian,” Lukaszuk said in an interview.
“And I think they want to send a strong message to (Premier) Danielle Smith, to the rest of Canada … and frankly to the world that Alberta is not going to be the weak link in our confederation.”
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Still, Lukaszuk allowed that the separatist voters are very motivated — suggesting they’d “crawl over broken glass” to cast their ballot. But Lukaszuk said the Forever Canadian organization was “laser focused” on identifying voters and making sure they cast their ballot.
Albertans aren’t actually voting on whether to separate, but on whether they want to begin the legal process to hold a second binding referendum on independence.
An Ipsos poll conducted between Sept. 18 and 22 exclusively for Global News found that 70 per cent of Albertan respondents wanted to remain part of Canada, while just 20 per cent said they wanted an independence referendum.
The current referendum has a total of 10 government-initiated questions, mostly to do with immigration and constitutional issues. Only one question is on the possibility of an independence referendum.
Ipsos found that a strong majority of respondents (76 per cent) were aware that there were multiple questions on the ballot, and that 62 per cent intended to vote on all 10 questions.
The Ipsos findings also suggest that there may be more Albertans willing to provoke an independence referendum than there are who actually want the province to separate. While 20 per cent said they’d vote to hold a binding referendum, just 14 per cent said they’d actually vote to leave.
There is a sense in Alberta that voters are also not viewing the referendum in isolation, according to Andrew MacKendrick, a former political staffer who has worked both for the Alberta NDP and the federal Liberals.
MacKendrick said the risk of a binding independence referendum at a time of geopolitical and economic instability is also a motivating factor to get Albertans to the ballot box.
“We have daily updates of whatever Trump is saying about Canada, we have companies all over the country talking about layoffs because of tariffs. And I think the risk factor is so large right now that the frustration (of the referendum) gets combined with, ‘There’s a big risk if I don’t participate,’” MacKendrick said in an interview.
“I think there’s a much higher combined motivation-risk vote that hopefully most folks will pick up on.”
For Lukaszuk’s part, he said he’s not taking anything for granted.
“When polling indicates that you’re on the winning side, complacency sets in. We saw that with Brexit, we saw that in elections,” he said.
“The last part of the campaign is the most important one.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story said the first day of advance polls was on Monday. It was on Tuesday. The story has been updated to reflect the change.
Maybe it’s not complacency but people’s voices being heard. Just because you live in a vacuum, doesn’t mean there isn’t a world around you that wants change.
I’d bet these goofy liberals didn’t even read the questions. Why would you not support giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities in Alberta? Also, having to provide proof of citizenship to vote. imagine. What a craaaaaazy concept ..
Commenter below, go sck carnholes, your dad’s, uncles, grandpa, great grandpa dck you POS!
If Albertans don’t want to live in Canada, they should be deported to Nigeria where they can exercise their greed for oil money!
10% Seperatist…..90% Staying With Canada….. Canada Strong … those that don’t like it can kiss my azz.
I am Punjubi and have lots of the creamy white stuff for your separatist women to swallow. LOL.
High turnout is bad for the separatists. They need apathy from the majority. The remain side could come in over 80% and hoping all of the other 9 questions are no. When Smith goes 0-10 she should face a non-confidence vote. Force her out.
It seems that many separatists do not have even a basic understanding of the Canadian Constitution. You guys are wasting time and money pursuing this issue without fully understanding the legal and constitutional realities.
Additionally, the problems in Alberta are largely the responsibility of the Conservative Party for decades while the challenges facing the country as a whole involve both major parties. Do some research and compare what happened under Harper’s and Trudeau’s governments before jumping to conclusions. is there any major changes at all?
And FYI, Mark Carney was the Governor of the Bank of Canada during Harper’s administration. So, I’m not sure how you can simply categorize him politically without considering his full record.
I hope you guys won’t get a surprise after the election!
There is no benefit for Alberta to stay in Canada. Carney is all sizzle and no steak and no new pipelines will be built under his regime.
Correction to my earlier post: Alberta will be fine…
Alberta will be fie without Canada but Canada without Alberta????
Maybe it’s time to reform our election system.
Funny Quebec wanting to separate gets fawned over by liberals and the press. But Alberta are traitors.. Get bent libs!
Can you get anymore biased or one sided Global !! You suck
@Lisa Asstor no they don’t you liar lmao
Most Alberta’s are casting the vote to commence the legal process and hold a binding referendum on leaving Elbows Up Canada. Carneys promises are all talk and nothing more. Don’t be fooled
@One the side lies. Reminds me of the loud and proud Elbows Up Canadians forcing their agenda on everyone else.
It’s funny how the minority 10%(seperatists) are loud and proud, trying to force their agenda on everyone. Well the silent majority will vote “NO ” to this nonsense of keaving Canada. Sorry seperatists.
Ive cancelled your vote Dexter, I choosing to stay.
I voted for Alberta for yes. Which means start the legal framework so a binding referendum can be called to leave Canada. Alberta would flourish on its own and get away from Carney and his authoritarian Govt.
I hope they vote to leave Canada.
@ Lisa Astor – Most Albertans want the separatists to leave Alberta.
Most Albertans want to leave Canada
Any Albertan AGAINST this, or who doesn’t vote can pack there stuff up & move to Canada! 😀
Anonymous @9:35pm.
Your such a loser.
Shawn McGay you are ignorant. If your liberal government was any good then there would be no vote to Separate. You elbows up goofs aways blame Trump. .how about blame ten years of liberal contol driving canada into the ground . But no!! To dumb !!
At a time when Trump is anti-Canadian, the premier is only worried about separation. Trump doesn’t like any Canadian. Alberta is a part of Canada. Ignorant people.
@hamid, go suck your dad’s, uncles, grandpa’s dck
@ hamid, go sck carnholes dck you POS
I think D. Smith and her supporters are traitors, and the federal government should take them all to prison, just as happened in Spain. The country needs a strong government with a united voice, not a bunch of cowards and weak politicians.
Elbows Up Carney Liberals are afraid of referendums and direct democracy. No suprise as Carney is an authoritarian autocrat.
Most will be suprised on the results. The yes vote to start a process to hold a binding referendum to leave Canada will win. Stop watching CBC.
Again, how much will all this worthless paperwork cost Albertans?
Sure Hunter. You know. lol
Sorry Hunter, that is wishful thinking on your part. As the story stated, this is not a vote to start the process. It is a vote to see if we want to vote to start the process. All the people who want to separate cannot live in Camrose.
Most leaving the poll booth in Camrose are voting to start the process to leave Chinada.
The sooner the lifted trucks, vape pens/ full arm and leg tattoos and the worst drivers known to man go back home the sooner we can get back to living!
@ hillbilly….what about the Christian cult white cousin humpers who shoot their families or club their wives? You guys hold the record for that!
Lol…Albertas despair…lol haha. You guys are too much. Feel sorry for me….victims…self centered universe. And as far as the Hindus Danielle and the rest will import them for their friends who own those businesses. You guys have gone too long without your tinfoil hats!
Emotional intelligence has nothing to do with your own emotion and everything to do with your ability to react to others in a way that does not escalate emotions on either side.
Many people lacking EQ, will use their own emotional perception and apply it to complete strangers they know nothing about, see: folly.
Example: Dan Levy is watching Saturday Night Live and confuses his hypersensitivity with some convenient for of high EQ. Dan Levy, in fact, exhibited low IQ when speaking on behalf of a group he assumed should be upset because he considered his emotional response over theirs.
Annoying nosey, judgemental people, are not emotionally intelligent.
I know, hard luck.
@The truth .well said!!
These are the acts of people seeking dialogue in a room full of people and absent of communication.
Nothing makes me more sad than to see the way Liberals, claiming to love Canada, have reacted to Alberta’s despair.
Empathy requires no more understanding than sentience.
If you know you know.
Like no Liberal has the intelligence to understand: you don’t criticize what you don’t care about. You don’t threaten to leave because you want to.
Both are acts of despair over what one hopes not to lose.
@best, coming up for air after 69 session with reetard ben
In my country of Alberta, welfare bums will starve to death, druggies will OD, and thieves will have their arms cut off at the shoulder!
bc resident when we separate we will ship you all are Punjab’s and other Miscellaneous immigrants just incase Carney changes his mind on bring in mass immigration in the next few years . good luck with that lol
The Liberal Party of Canada, and Carney, is like a man serving a triple brie that has been sitting on a counter to the point of becoming harder than stale wedge of Regianno asking if it’s still good.
No, it’s not.
@ Fred Carney (Mark’s cousin) you should have been an abortion , what kool- aid are you drinking to think liberals are doing such a great job???is it Punjab jiz? you got an addiction and need more??? is it the covid shots. 20 to many?? you need to just f** right off
here is something to think about to all you elbows up idiots. if your liberal government was any good .Alberta would not be in this situation of a vote to separate or not would be????
Anonymous needs to be grabbed by arms and legs and thrown into a deep hole..Anonymous is still seething because Ben is smarter than him. Right dopey?
All the scuzzball DPs will be grabbed by arms and legs and thrown into BC where they can sack each other dry
174K ballots in the 1st day of advance polls is silly, polls say there are only three people in Alberta that want to separate. You people wanting Alberta to stay in Canada are just wasting gas.
Commenter below, typical BC reetard
Pleeeaaaseee separate! Then in 3 weeks when there’s a total collapse you can pick up the scraps …..we’ll bail you out ( as usual) and you never can speak of this again for the next 300 years!