Some polling stations in Alberta will have extended hours on referendum day due to delayed openings at their 9 a.m. MT scheduled start times. Elections Alberta confirmed that certain voting locations experienced delays in opening. For instance, the Shane Homes YMCA polling station opened at 9:55 a.m. The election agency will release a comprehensive list of stations with adjusted closing times later on Monday.
To accommodate voters affected by the delayed openings, stations that started late will remain open past their original 8 p.m. closing time. This extension aims to ensure all eligible voters have sufficient time to cast their ballots, which will consequently delay the announcement of results for Albertans.
On Monday, Albertans are participating in a referendum to determine whether the province should pursue a second binding referendum on separation from Canada, along with answering nine other questions related to immigration and the Constitution. Polling stations will be operational throughout Alberta until 8 p.m.
Elections Alberta has commenced the counting of advanced voting and special ballots at 5 p.m. The provincial election agency reported that 1.3 million individuals cast their votes through mail-in and advanced ballots before the referendum day.
Regarding staffing, Elections Alberta spokesperson Maia Hanrahan disclosed that the organization successfully recruited 47,000 elections officers, considering it a positive response to their recruitment campaign for the referendum. Although the agency aimed to hire 60,000 officers, Hanrahan expressed contentment with the current staffing level, ensuring smooth operations at voting places and during the ballot count.
The separation question (Question 10) will be counted first by Elections Alberta, followed by questions one through nine. The online results page will go live once all voting stations have officially closed.
In Calgary, voters experienced minimal wait times, as reported by Shannon Shirt, who cast her ballot in the southwest Windsor Park neighborhood around 9:20 a.m. Tearra Johnston, another voter at First Assembly Church, highlighted the efficient voting process and the importance of taking the referendum seriously.
For live updates and analysis on referendum night, viewers can tune in to “Alberta Votes: Referendum Night” starting at 7 p.m. MT on various platforms including CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC News YouTube, CBC News App, CBC News Network, and CBC Radio One. Live referendum results will also be available on the CBC Edmonton and CBC Calgary websites. Additionally, “Alberta Morning” on Oct. 20 at 5:30 a.m. MT on CBC Radio One and CBC TV in Calgary and Edmonton will provide further coverage.
