EDMONTON — Elections Alberta says it has received 11 times more requests for mail-in ballots for the upcoming vote on separation than it did in the last provincial election. The agency says it has received roughly 658,000 requests for special ballots for the Oct. 19 referendum, and about 100,000 of those electors have voted. Elections Alberta received about 60,000 requests for mail-in ballots in the 2023 provincial election. The tally comes after the deadline to submit a request for mail-in ballots passed at midnight on Friday. Elections Alberta says all special ballots must be returned by Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. The referendum will see Albertans vote on 10 questions put forward by Premier Danielle Smith’s government, including whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding vote on leaving Confederation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2026.
