Alberta’s Official Count: 75 Percent Vote to Stay, All Four Constitutional Questions Fail

Elections Alberta released the official results of the October 19 provincial referendum on Thursday, confirming that Albertans voted by about three to one to remain in Canada rather than begin the legal process toward a binding vote on separation.

On Question 10, 1,556,316 voters, or 74.95 percent, chose “Alberta should remain a province in Canada.” Another 520,233, or 25.05 percent, chose for the provincial government to “commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.” Turnout on the question was 70.4 percent of 3,148,205 eligible electors, against 60.5 percent in the 2023 provincial general election. Of the 2,216,505 ballots cast on Question 10, 139,956 were declined or rejected.

Five passed, four failed

The official count also settled the nine questions Premier Danielle Smith’s government put to voters on immigration and the constitution.

All five immigration questions carried. Question 5, requiring proof of citizenship such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card to vote in provincial elections, passed with 58.06 percent. Question 1, on increased provincial control over immigration, took 54.86 percent. Question 3, a 12-month residency requirement before people with non-permanent status qualify for provincial social support programs, took 53.12 percent. Question 2, limiting provincially funded programs to citizens, permanent residents and people with Alberta-approved immigration status, took 52.46 percent. Question 4, a fee or premium for non-permanent residents’ use of health care and education, took 51.78 percent.

All four constitutional questions failed. Each asked whether the government should work with other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution. Yes took 47.28 percent on abolishing the Senate (Question 7), 45.36 percent on provinces selecting King’s Bench and Appeal court justices (Question 6), 44.17 percent on giving provincial laws priority over conflicting federal laws in provincial or shared jurisdiction (Question 9), and 42.44 percent on opting out of federal programs without losing the federal funding (Question 8).

That is a change from the week of the vote. With 5,324 of 5,575 polls reported on October 21, the Partisan reported Yes ahead on seven of the nine questions, including Questions 7 and 9.

How Albertans voted

Elections Alberta reports its turnout figures as ballots summed across all ten questions. Of those, 37.9 percent were cast at advance polls from October 13 to 17, 31.8 percent on election day, 29.4 percent by mail-in special ballot and 1.0 percent through mobile voting at care facilities, hospitals and shelters. Results by electoral division and voting method are posted at officialresults.elections.ab.ca.

The count is now official. Albertans decided their province’s future by their own vote, and their own election office has certified the answer.