Unofficial Alberta referendum results were delayed after a polling station in Edmonton remained open until 10 p.m., two hours later than scheduled.
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Albertans voted Monday on 10 referendum questions, including a separation question listed as Question 10 on the ballot, with the separation results expected to be counted and reported first.
According to the reported ballot order, results for Questions 1 through 9—covering immigration and constitutional issues—were to follow in numerical order after Question 10.
The release of results was delayed longer than expected after an Edmonton polling station reported issues and stayed open until 10 p.m., two hours later than scheduled, slowing vote counting across the province.
Question 10 asks: “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?”
Questions 1 through 9 ask voters whether they support various changes proposed by the government of Alberta, including taking increased control over immigration to decrease immigration to more sustainable levels (Question 1), restricting provincially funded programs to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status (Question 2), requiring non-permanent residents to live in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for provincially funded social support (Question 3), and charging fees or premiums for non-permanent residents’ use of health care and education systems (Question 4).
Other constitutional questions include requiring proof of citizenship to vote in an Alberta provincial election (Question 5), amending the Canadian Constitution so provincial governments—rather than the federal government—select justices for provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts (Question 6), amending the Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate (Question 7), allowing provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction without losing associated federal funding (Question 8), and giving priority to provincial laws dealing with provincial or shared jurisdiction in areas where provincial laws and federal laws conflict (Question 9).
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