Alberta is being asked 10 important questions — and they’re about much more than separation.
Some of the wording isn’t straightforward. So before you vote, scroll through the 10 questions to understand what each one means, what could happen next, and how it could affect you, your family, and your neighbours.
Scroll down. Understand the 10.Our recommendation
Choose Option 1: Stay in Canada. Vote NO on all nine other questions.
How will you vote?
In-person order: Canada first. Mail order: Canada last. Official question numbers stay the same; the order of this guide changes.
Dates to remember
- Request mail ballot by
- Mail ballot must arrive by
- Advance voting
- Voting day
2026 · Alberta local time. Check your location’s exact advance hours.
Alberta’s Future in Canada
Official Question 10
Official Ballot Wording
Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If Option 2 gets approved, it forces the provincial government to start the actual legal process of pulling Alberta out of Canada. Option 1 stops that process and keeps Alberta in the country.
Why It Matters
Companies do not wait to see how constitutional arguments end. They simply put their money somewhere safer. When Probe Research asked Calgary business owners about separation, 48% said they would likely relocate their operations if the province moved forward with it. Furthermore, the provincial government estimates the referendum process alone will cost taxpayers $130 million. That is money drained directly from local services to fund a legal fight.
The Catch
The ballot asks if we should start the process, but ignores the reality of what follows. There is no plan for splitting the national debt, managing the Canada Pension Plan, or keeping trade routes open through British Columbia. Separation does not build houses or hire doctors. It just triggers years of economic uncertainty.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Immigration and "Albertans First"
Official Question 1
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it gives the province authority to cut immigration numbers and forces businesses to hire "Albertans first."
Why It Matters
Alberta is currently short on staff to run its hospitals, farms, and construction sites. Cutting the supply of workers starves these industries. Proponents claim this will fix the housing shortage, but Statistics Canada data shows new arrivals account for only a small fraction of housing price jumps. High interest rates and slow construction are the real drivers. If we restrict the tradespeople moving here, we build fewer houses.
The Catch
The ballot never defines who counts as an "Albertan." If a local restaurant needs a cook and the only applicant moved here six months ago, this law might block the hire. The job stays empty and the business cannot operate at full capacity.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Access to Services for Legal Residents
Official Question 2
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it allows the government to lock tax-paying legal residents and their children out of public schools and basic healthcare clinics unless they hold a specific provincial status.
Why It Matters
Recent immigrants and temporary workers pay hundreds of millions in provincial and federal income taxes every year. They already fund the system. Denying their kids a seat in a local classroom creates social isolation.
The Catch
Locking people out of a primary care clinic does not stop them from getting sick. They just wait until their condition becomes an emergency and go to the hospital. A standard clinic visit costs the province a fraction of what an emergency room visit costs. Taxpayers end up covering the more expensive hospital bill.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
12-Month Waiting Period for Social Supports
Official Question 3
Official Ballot Wording
Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it requires recruited nurses, software developers, and tradespeople to live in Alberta for a full year before they can access social safety nets if they lose a job or get hurt.
Why It Matters
Skilled workers compare benefits before relocating. If we tell a heavy-duty mechanic they get fewer protections here than in British Columbia or Ontario during their first year, they will take their skills elsewhere.
The Catch
Employers absorb the real cost of this policy. When companies cannot recruit out-of-province talent because our safety nets are uncompetitive, positions sit empty and businesses lose money.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Extra Fees for Healthcare and Education
Official Question 4
Official Ballot Wording
Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the healthcare and education systems?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it allows the province to charge temporary residents additional out-of-pocket fees to send their kids to school or use a hospital, on top of the income taxes they already pay.
Why It Matters
Temporary residents tend to be younger and healthier. They cost the healthcare system about $1,500 a year on average, while the average citizen costs over $9,000. Because they pay income and sales taxes from day one, they are already subsidizing the system. Charging them again is double taxation.
The Catch
The ballot uses the word "reasonable" but sets no limit. Voters are handing the government a blank cheque to set whatever price they want down the road.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Proof of Citizenship Before Voting
Official Question 5
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it forces every voter to present an original physical document—like a birth certificate or passport—before they can cast a ballot.
Why It Matters
Non-citizens are already barred from voting, and Elections Alberta has found no evidence of widespread voter fraud. This rule targets a problem that does not exist. Instead, it creates massive bottlenecks at polling stations.
The Catch
This actually disenfranchises legitimate voters. Many senior citizens no longer have their original birth certificates. Millions of Canadians do not hold active passports. This law turns legal, tax-paying citizens away at the door over red tape.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Selecting Superior-Court Judges
Official Question 6
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it shifts the power to appoint top judges away from an independent federal committee and hands it directly to provincial politicians.
Why It Matters
Courts exist to protect citizens and businesses from government overreach. If a local business sues the provincial government over a contract dispute, they need a neutral judge. They do not want their case decided by someone the provincial government just hand-picked.
The Catch
There are no rules in this proposal about screening candidates. It leaves the door wide open for political favoritism on the bench.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Abolishing the Senate
Official Question 7
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it starts a constitutional push to completely destroy the Canadian Senate.
Why It Matters
The Senate reviews bills passed by the House of Commons and often catches technical errors before they become law. Many Albertans want the Senate reformed so it is elected and equal. But entirely abolishing it simply hands total, unchecked power to the House of Commons.
The Catch
Because Ontario and Quebec hold the vast majority of seats in the House of Commons, removing the Senate removes one of the few institutional checks Western Canada has on central Canadian power.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Opting Out of Federal Programs
Official Question 8
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it demands the right to reject national standards for programs like childcare or school food funding, while insisting Ottawa still send the money to Alberta unconditionally.
Why It Matters
Alberta receives billions in federal funding for $10-a-day childcare and mental health services. Those funds are tied to national delivery agreements. If we refuse the terms, Ottawa can legally withhold the money.
The Catch
If Ottawa turns off the tap during the resulting legal fight, the money disappears. Alberta taxpayers either have to cover the massive shortfall or watch local childcare and mental health programs shut down.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
Provincial Laws Overriding Federal Laws
Official Question 9
Official Ballot Wording
Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province’s laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province’s laws and federal laws conflict?
Ballot Options
In Simple Terms
If this gets approved, it declares that provincial laws automatically overrule federal laws whenever they clash.
Why It Matters
Strong federal authority is the only reason interprovincial pipelines get built. If we weaken national rules to prioritize provincial ones, other provinces like British Columbia can use their own local environmental laws to legally block Alberta's energy exports.
The Catch
It creates regulatory chaos. Companies will not invest billions in Alberta if they do not know which laws actually apply when their products cross a provincial border.
Your choice
Your choice here is not an official vote.
