EDMONTON — Special mail-in ballots for Alberta’s 10-question referendum next month started going out the door Tuesday, Elections Alberta said. The agency said those who have previously registered for a special ballot will soon start receiving their packages in the mail or they can pick them up in person. Spokesperson Maia-Lys Hanrahan said Elections Alberta received 225,000 requests to date for mail-in ballots. The special ballots are designed to allow those who may not be able to go to the polls in person on Oct. 19 the opportunity to still submit their votes. Among the questions Premier Danielle Smith’s government is putting voters is one on whether Albertans want to stay in Canada or hold a second, binding vote on separating from Canada. Albertans will also be asked five questions around the province taking more control over immigration and four on constitutional reform. The elections agency says Albertans have until Oct. 9 to apply for a mail-in ballot and that the ballots must be received by Elections Alberta no later than Oct. 16. The referendum is shaping up to be a massive undertaking for Elections Alberta, which has said it will need to hire at least 60,000 workers to hold the vote. Hanrahan said that since it launched its hiring spree in June, it has received more than 35,000 applications. “Elections Alberta will continue to seek election officers right up until voting for the referendum,” she said. She also said the agency is specifically seeking election officers for a number of rural areas, including Medicine Hat, about 300 kilometres southeast of Calgary, and Athabasca, which is about 150 kilometres north of Edmonton. Hanrahan added that they were seeking applications “all across northern Alberta.” She said Elections Alberta was coming up with a new hiring process specifically designed for groups of people, such as “your hockey team, community group, choir, or even the group chat” and that more details would be available soon. The agency is also bringing in help from other provincial election organizations, a practice it says is normal for all major voting events. Hanrahan didn’t provide a number but said a small group of professionals from across the country will be providing relief for Elections Alberta’s fewer than 50 permanent staff come voting day. “This assistance will allow us to cover shift-work spanning the 60 consecutive hour period from the beginning of election day through to the end of the count,” she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2026. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
