Alberta has voted: separation result expected within hours
Late-opening polling stations delayed the count. Polls showed a clear majority for remaining. Separatists vow: “This is just the first battle.”
Photo: Chris Woodrich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Voters in the Canadian province of Alberta cast ballots on Monday in a non-binding referendum on their future in Canada. Question 10 asked, in essence, whether the province should remain in Canada or begin the process toward a binding referendum on separation. Because 106 polling stations opened late or temporarily closed and stayed open longer, results could only be released after the last station closed at 10 p.m. local time. Elections Alberta expects the separation result between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time on Tuesday (9 a.m. to noon CEST), with the other nine questions later.
Before election day, 1,356,873 of 3,148,343 eligible voters had already cast ballots, or 43.1 percent. Elections Alberta forecast turnout of 80 to 85 percent. Polls showed a clear majority for remaining in Canada. Premier Danielle Smith voted to stay, while Prime Minister Mark Carney called a vote against Canada a “dangerous bluff”.
Separatists said they would keep pursuing their cause even in defeat. “This is just the first battle,” separatist Jeffrey Rath told The Canadian Press. Former premier Rachel Notley said she was “cautiously optimistic” Alberta would remain in Canada.