Alberta voted today. Now it waits: results delayed as 106 polling stations opened late

Alberta's historic referendum day ended without the one thing everyone stayed up for: results. Elections Alberta said Monday it had extended voting hours at multiple locations after a wave of late openings, and that unofficial results cannot begin until every voting location in the province is confirmed closed.

Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure authorized the extensions under the Election Act so voters affected by the late openings could still cast ballots, Elections Alberta said in a release Monday. The results website "cannot be published until all voting locations in the province are confirmed closed."

CBC reported Monday night that 106 polling stations opened late across the province, with the last — Westminster School in Edmonton — staying open until 10 p.m. MT, or midnight ET. Anyone in line at closing time can still vote. In Maskwacis, stations ran out of ballots amid heavy turnout, and Elections Alberta dispatched couriers with more.

A record day, a late night

The delay caps a remarkable turnout story. Elections Alberta's preliminary figures showed 1,356,873 Albertans — 43.1 per cent of the province's 3,148,343 eligible electors — voted in advance or by special ballot before Monday arrived. Officials were preparing for overall turnout of 80 to 85 per cent, far above the 55 per cent average of recent provincial elections.

Elections Alberta hired 47,000 election officers for the day, short of its 60,000 target, though a spokesperson said that was sufficient, according to CBC's reporting.

Question 10 is counted first — when the count starts

Once counting begins, ballots will be tallied by hand, with Question 10 — the separation question — counted first, followed by Questions 1 through 9 in order, Elections Alberta said. Unofficial results will post in real time to results.elections.ab.ca as counts are confirmed; official results are expected Oct. 29.

The question asks whether Alberta should remain a province of Canada or whether the government should begin the legal process toward a future binding referendum on separation. The result is non-binding — the government's own referendum orders say none of the 10 results bind the province.

Polling throughout the campaign pointed to a clear remain majority. The Writ's poll tracker, updated Oct. 17, put "remain in Canada" at 68 per cent against 26 per cent for starting the legal process — 72 to 28 among decided voters. Léger's Oct. 14–16 poll found 21 per cent support for starting the process.

A Serious Pick check of the official results board late Monday night showed zero tallies posted — the wait continues.