Advance polling has begun for the Alberta Referendum question vote, and in the first two days, Elections Alberta is reporting that over a quarter of eligible voters have already cast their ballots.
Advance polling began on Tuesday, October 13, and will run until Saturday, October 17, with the official referendum voting day on the following Monday, October 19.
When asked how voting turnout has been in the few days it’s been available, a spokesperson from Elections Alberta told Juno News that 174,532 Albertans cast their ballots at advance polls on Tuesday, the first day.
On Wednesday, 186,742 Albertans cast their ballots on the nine referendum questions.
The spokesperson also noted that Elections Alberta, as of Thursday, has received “and processed” 454,000 special ballots.
With nearly 2.7 million registered voters in the province, that means an estimated 27.5 per cent have already voted on the list of referendum questions.
Voters still have until the end of voting on Monday to have their opinions heard on a range of issues, including Alberta’s control over immigration, social services, residency requirements, healthcare and education, voting identification, judicial appointments, abolishing the Senate, and being able to opt out of federal programs.
The questions that are getting the most attention, however, and what many people are driven to vote on, are questions over Alberta having more autonomy in Canada when it comes to its laws and whether or not a referendum should be held on Alberta separating from Canada and becoming an independent nation.
