Alberta advance polls open Tuesday as experts debate what the referendum results will mean

Advance voting in Alberta's Oct. 19 sovereignty referendum opens Tuesday morning, with polls open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Saturday, Oct. 17 — the first hard test of turnout in a vote both camps agree will shape how the result is read.

Elections Alberta has reported more than 650,000 special-ballot requests — compared with 59,000 in the 2023 provincial election — and has hired more than 44,000 election workers for the vote.

The referendum asks ten separately counted questions, with Question 10 — whether Alberta should commence the constitutional process toward a binding separation referendum — counted first. Experts told Global News the results could be read multiple ways: a strong "remain" showing on Question 10 alongside "yes" votes on the other nine questions would send a mixed signal.

The vote follows Prime Minister Mark Carney's Thanksgiving video message urging Albertans to stay in Canada, released Monday. Carney's office told Global News he is expected in Alberta "in the coming days" with a pro-Canada message. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is scheduled to speak in Calgary on Friday.

Results will not be known on election night: with hand-counted ballots, Elections Alberta expects results in the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 20.