Albertans are awaiting the count of Question 10 after polls closed Monday night on a referendum about leaving Confederation.
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Albertans began waiting Monday night for the results of a provincewide referendum after polls closed across Alberta, with Question 10 asking voters whether the province should remain in Canada or whether it should hold a second, binding referendum on leaving Confederation.
The separation question was added to the ballot earlier this year by Premier Danielle Smith following petition campaigns that gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures supporting and opposing Alberta’s place within Canada. Smith has said she voted to remain in the country.
Elections Alberta said ballots on Question 10 will be counted first before officials move on to the remaining nine questions, which deal with constitutional and immigration issues.
Unofficial results will not be released until at least 10 p.m., after more than 100 polling stations remained open beyond the scheduled 8 p.m. closing time due to delayed openings earlier in the day.
The referendum campaign drew national attention in its final days, including Prime Minister Mark Carney travelling to Alberta last week to participate in pro-Canada rallies.
Supporters of Alberta independence argue that ending federal taxation and regulation would benefit the province by unlocking economic growth and giving Albertans more control over their affairs, while opponents contend separation would create economic uncertainty, burden the province with debt, and force Alberta to assume responsibility for services currently provided by the federal government.
On referendum day, lawyer Jeff Rath—described in the report as a prominent advocate for Alberta independence—said some voters view the ballot as an opportunity to express frustration with Ottawa, adding: “For those people that want to send a message, they can send a message,” and “For people that are in favour of independence, they’re voting for an end in federal income tax, they’re voting for the opportunity to end an entire level of politicians and corrupt bureaucrats that govern over top of us.”
Rath said separatists would continue their efforts regardless of the result and argued that support for independence exceeding 40 per cent should prompt Smith’s resignation.
Thomas Lukaszuk, founder of the Forever Canadian campaign, said he questioned why the referendum was being held in the first place, saying: “The vast majority of Albertans never asked for this referendum,” and adding that the vote could ultimately cost taxpayers more than $300 million. Despite his opposition, Lukaszuk said the debate had encouraged Albertans to reflect on what it means to be Canadian, saying: “No matter what the outcome of this tonight, we will have a lot of work ahead of us to heal the wounds that have been caused.”
More than 1.3 million Albertans cast ballots through advance voting and mail-in voting before referendum day.
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