Alberta voters reject provincial separation by wide margin

Posted on October 22, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Trevor Busch
Vauxhall Advance
editor@tabertimes.com

The votes have all been cast in Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum, and while some polls are still to report as of press deadline, it remains clear that Albertans have rejected the idea of the province separating from Canada by a resounding 75.2 per cent. 

In terms of interest among the electorate, standing head and shoulders above the rest was Question 10 (i.e. should Alberta separate from Canada) which as of press deadline saw 1,501,301 total votes to remain versus 492,776 opting for a binding referendum, with the total remain vote coming in at 75.2 per cent versus 24.7 per cent in favour of a binding referendum. 

Locally in Cardston-Siksika, and in general across many rural parts of the province, Monday’s vote was a much different story with the result significantly tighter than the province as a whole. With 93 per cent of voting locations reporting as of press deadline, there were 17,191 total votes cast, with 9,788 voting to remain (56.9 per cent) followed closely by 7,403 who opted for a binding referendum (43 per cent).

In terms of Questions 1-9, which dealt with immigration and constitutional issues, results in the province as a whole for the most part came in positively in the low-to-high 50 per cent range. However, it was again a question of two Albertas with urban versus rural, as results for Cardston-Siksika registered mostly in the low-to-high 60 per cent range.

On Question 1 (i.e. taking increased control over immigration) as of deadline, Albertans voted 53.4 per cent in favour, with 46.5 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 68.6 per cent voted in favour, with 31.3 per cent voting no.

On Question 2 (i.e. only citizens eligible for programs) as of deadline, Albertans voted 51.9 per cent in favour, with 48 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 66.1 per cent voted in favour, with 33.8 per cent voting no.

On Question 3 (i.e. 12 month residency requirement) as of deadline, Albertans voted 53.7 per cent in favour, with 46.2 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 65.7 per cent voted in favour, with 34.2 per cent voting no.

On Question 4 (i.e. charging fee to non-residents) as of deadline, Albertans voted 54.4 per cent in favour, with 45.5 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 64.1 per cent voted in favour, with 35.8 per cent voting no.

On Question 5 (i.e. proof of citizenship) as of deadline, Albertans voted 61.7 per cent in favour, with 38.2 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 69.8 per cent voted in favour, with 30.1 per cent voting no.

On Question 6 (i.e. provincial court appointments) as of deadline, Albertans voted 49.6 per cent in favour, with 50.3 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 62 per cent voted in favour, with 38 per cent voting no.

On Question 7 (i.e. abolishing federal Senate) as of deadline, Albertans voted 52.4 per cent in favour, with 47.5 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 62.4 per cent voted in favour, with 37.5 per cent voting no.

On Question 8 (i.e. opting out of federal programs) as of deadline, Albertans voted 48.3 per cent in favour, with 51.6 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 59.6 per cent voted in favour, with 40.3 per cent voting no.

On Question 9 (i.e. provincial laws supersede federal) as of deadline, Albertans voted 50.6 per cent in favour, with 49.3 per cent voting no. In Cardston-Siksika, 60.9 per cent voted in favour, with 39 per cent voting no.

As of our deadline on Oct. 21, Elections Alberta was reporting 16,336,216 valid votes had been cast across all 10 questions with 93 per cent of voting locations reporting. On Referendum Day (or Election Day as referenced by Elections Alberta) 6,179,090 votes were cast (37.8 per cent of total). In Advance Voting, 7,386,389 votes were cast (45.2 per cent), Mobile Voting saw 178,053 votes cast (1 per cent) while Special Ballots received totalled 2,593,327 (15.8 per cent). 

According to Elections Alberta, extended hours impacted unofficial results reporting times.

In the Cardston-Siksika riding, voting hours were extended at two locations for a short period, including the Picture Butte Community Centre (8:30 p.m.) and the Lavern Community Hall (8:40 p.m.).

Official results are expected from Elections Alberta by Thursday, Oct. 29.