Alberta holds first referendum on whether to stay in Canada
The gist
Alberta votes Oct 19 on whether to stay in Canada or start a path to separation.
The result is nonbinding, and a Leger poll puts staying at 74%.
How it unfolded
- May 2026Premier Danielle Smith announced the referendum, seeking to cut through a legal and procedural quagmire that threatened to scuttle separatist activists' efforts to hold a vote.
- Oct 13, 2026Advance voting opened, according to Elections Alberta, the provincial election agency. The same day, separatist organiser Cory Morgan spoke to Alberta separatist supporters at a meeting by Let's Talk Alberta in Calgary.
- Oct 14, 2026 -16, 2026Leger conducted a survey of 1,000 Alberta residents aged 18 or older.