Calgarians packed Parkdale United Church Wednesday evening for a non-partisan discussion to help voters make sense of Alberta’s upcoming referendum. The event, called “Making Sense of the Alberta Referendum,” brought in Mount Royal University associate professor and political analyst Lori Williams to walk attendees through the voting process, the questions on the ballot and what the results could mean. Williams said she has encountered considerable uncertainty while speaking with Albertans ahead of the Oct. 19 vote. “I think there are a lot of people who are concerned about this referendum. They are, in some cases, confused or overwhelmed by the questions, by individual questions, by the number of questions, the complexity of the process,” Williams said. Questions from the audience ranged from immigration and access to provincial services to Alberta’s place in Canada and how voters will actually cast their ballots. Williams said even the ballot format has caused some confusion. Nine questions will ask voters to choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’, while the question on Alberta’s place in Canada asks voters to choose between two options. “Your vote counts. It’s important to cast an informed ballot, and it’s also important that we respect Albertans who have different views,” Williams said. The event was hosted by Ploughshares Calgary Society, a non-profit community organization that has been operating for more than four decades. Society chair Tatiana Oshchepkova said the group organized the discussion after hearing from people who were struggling to understand the referendum questions. “We decided that she is a very good speaker that will bring light to these very confusing questions that people have,” Oshchepkova said of Williams. “We’ve heard from the community how people are not always understanding the referendum and how to answer those questions.” Advance ballots The event comes as another important referendum deadline approaches. Albertans have until Sept. 25 to apply for a special ballot. Online requests for a ballot to be mailed close at midnight, while voters can pick one up from a local returning office until 6 p.m. Demand has been significantly higher than during the last provincial election. Elections Alberta said it had received nearly 520,000 special ballot applications as of Sept. 17. By comparison, 59,589 special ballots were requested during the entire 2023 provincial election. However, the comparison comes with an important difference: Albertans no longer need to provide a reason to vote by special ballot. Elections Alberta must receive completed special ballots by 5 p.m. on Oct. 16. Albertans will vote in the referendum on Oct. 19.
