Alberta referendum advance voting draws 1.3 million ballots

More than 1.3 million Albertans cast ballots in advance voting for a referendum on the province's future, according to Elections Alberta, surpassing turnout at the same point in the 2023 provincial election. The agency reported 1,356,873 votes were cast between Oct. 13 and Oct. 17, including 837,791 at advance locations and 519,082 special ballots by mail. This compares to 809,988 total votes during the same period in 2023, with 43 per cent of eligible electors participating this time versus 27.5 per cent previously. An Ipsos poll for Global News shows 70 per cent of Albertans plan to vote for staying in Canada, while 23 per cent support beginning a legal process for a binding separation referendum. The ballot includes 10 questions total, covering immigration and constitutional issues.