Alberta votes Monday on whether to start the process toward a separation referendum

Albertans vote on Monday 19 October in a provincial referendum with 10 questions, including whether the province should remain part of Canada, according to Elections Alberta. That is Tuesday in Sydney.

Question 10 offers two options: remain a province of Canada, or have the provincial government start the constitutional process to hold a binding referendum on separation. The government orders that set up the vote say the results on Question 10 and on questions 1 to 5 are not binding. The other questions cover immigration, access to provincial programs, proof of citizenship to vote, and proposed constitutional changes. Ballots are counted by hand, with Question 10 counted first.

Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Albertans to vote to remain at a rally in Edmonton on Friday. “The stakes are high,” he said, CBC News reported. He called voting for a separation referendum to “send a message” a “dangerous bluff”.

Earlier on Friday, Premier Danielle Smith appeared with Carney in Red Deer. “We often disagree quite publicly on several things,” she said. “But today we can all agree that on Question 10, we are voting for Option 1 to remain in Canada.”

The two leaders differ on the other nine questions. Smith is urging a “yes” vote on all nine, while Carney has asked voters to say “no to the nine”, CBC reported. One Red Deer resident told CBC she would vote for Option 2 to get “a better deal for Alberta”.