On October 19, Albertans will go to the polls for a 10-question referendum. Instead of leaving decision-making to the Legislative Assembly, the electorate will vote directly on several political issues. To understand the importance of this referendum, two questions must be answered: How did the province reach this point, and what exactly are Albertans voting on?

Danielle Smith, the Premier of Alberta, began talks of a potential referendum on May 5, 2025, when she said that the most popular ideas discussed with the ‘Alberta Next’ panel, created in June 2025, would be placed on a 2026 referendum.

Under Smith’s leadership, the panel created a forum for “leaders, experts, and community voices” to discuss issues of protecting Alberta’s interests, economy and “assert[ing] its place in Confederation”.

The Alberta Next panel concluded in December 2025, submitting a list of recommendations to the Government of Alberta. The report discussed a number of topics, including self-government, constitutional reform, and immigration.

On February 19, 2026, Smith announced that a nine-question referendum would be held on October 19. Five questions would pertain to Alberta’s immigration laws, while the other four would relate to amending the Canadian Constitution to redefine Alberta’s relationship with the federal government.

On March 31, two Orders in Council (OCs) were approved, confirming that the nine questions would be on a referendum ballot on October 19.

The five immigration questions ask voters if they support:

  1. Increased provincial control over immigration to decrease immigration levels and ensure Albertans receive “first priority” on new employment opportunities.
  2. A new provincial law requiring only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and those whose immigration was approved by Alberta to be eligible for provincially-funded social programs, including healthcare and education.
  3. A new provincial law requiring those with a non-permanent immigration status to live in Alberta for at least one year before being eligible for provincially-funded social programs.
  4. The Government of Alberta charging a “reasonable” fee to those with a non-permanent immigration status for their use of Alberta’s healthcare and education systems.
  5. A new provincial law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections.

    6. The four constitutional questions ask voters if they support the Government of Alberta working with other provincial governments to amend the Canadian Constitution to:

  6. Allow provincial governments, rather than the federal government, to appoint justices to the provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts.
  7. Abolish the unelected federal Senate.
  8. Allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction without losing any associated federal funding.
  9. Give provincial laws related to shared areas of jurisdiction priority over federal laws when provincial and federal laws conflict.

The 10th question, on potential Albertan independence, was approved on May 28, in the wake of a controversial court ruling that overturned the Alberta Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)’s approval of a petition seeking a referendum on Albertan independence.

Under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act, which entered into force on April 7, 2022, Albertans can request that the government hold a referendum on a particular issue if the petition is signed by at least 10% of however many Albertans voted in the previous provincial election. Thus, the CEO approved Stay Free Alberta’s petition, as it had garnered over 300,000 signatures, far beyond the required 177,732.

However, on May 13, a judge on the Alberta Court of King’s Bench ruled that the petition’s approval was unlawful, as an independence referendum would require a thorough consultation process with Indigenous communities under Section 35 of the Constitution Act (1982).

The Alberta government’s response was to appeal the decision and, in the meantime, pass another OC to add a 10th question to the referendum. This question asks Albertans to choose between two options:

  1. Alberta should remain a province of Canada.
  2. The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.

    3. Smith explained that the 10th question was necessary to allow all Albertans to have a say on the separatist movement, rather than waiting for the outcome of a potentially years-long court process. Her government has promised to “move forward with whatever Albertans decide”.

    Advance voting will be held from Tuesday, October 13, to Saturday, October 17, ahead of the main voting day on Monday, October 19.

    Results, which will be counted by hand, will be tabulated and reported by question. As the most high-profile section of the ballot, question 10 will be reported first, followed by questions 1–9 in sequential order.

    Referendum regulations require the unofficial ballot count to be completed within 48 hours of the vote closing, which will be Wednesday, October 21, at 8 p.m. The official results will be announced on Thursday, October 29, at 10 a.m.