The Referendum, and Why We Need You Watching
Ten questions go to Albertans this fall. Question 10 asks whether Alberta should begin the legal process toward a binding vote on leaving Canada. We're recruiting scrutineers to watch every ballot counted.
What's on the ballot
The Government of Alberta has set a province-wide referendum for October 19, 2026, with ten questions drawn from the Alberta Next Panel's recommendations.
Referendum voting day, 2026.
Questions on the ballot in total.
Immigration policy questions.
Targeted constitutional amendments, pursued with other provinces.
The separation question.
Source: the Government of Alberta's referendum information site, albertareferendum2026.ca. Always confirm dates and ballot details with the official sources listed at the bottom of this page.
The separation question
This is the question the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition has been organizing around. Here it is exactly as the Government of Alberta has published it.
“Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”
Question 10, as published by the Government of Alberta at albertareferendum2026.ca/separation-question. Verify the final ballot wording with Elections Alberta before voting day.Alberta remains a province of Canada
Nothing changes. The province continues under the current constitutional arrangement, and no separation process begins.
Begin the legal process
The Government of Alberta starts the constitutional steps required to hold a binding referendum on separation at a later date.
Our positionA majority on Option 2 does not separate Alberta
This is the single most misunderstood thing about Question 10, and it's worth being precise about. Voting for Option 2 does not end Alberta's membership in Confederation, and it does not take effect the next morning.
What it does is instruct the provincial government to begin the constitutional process required to hold a binding referendum on separation — a second, later vote. Question 10 is the door, not the room.
There is also live litigation to be aware of: a court has ruled that a binding separation referendum cannot proceed in Alberta without first completing a constitutionally required consultation process with First Nations. The provincial government is appealing that ruling while this referendum goes ahead.
Albertans put it there
Question 10 did not originate in a caucus room. It reached the ballot through Alberta's citizen initiative process, on the strength of signatures gathered door to door across the province.
Albertans signed citizen initiative petitions asking for this question.
Signatures required to trigger a referendum — 10% of votes cast in the previous provincial election.
The Wildrose Loyalty Coalition supports Option 2. Albertans should have the right to decide their own constitutional future in a binding vote. Wildrose Loyalty Coalition — party position on Question 10
Be in the room when the ballots are counted
A scrutineer is an ordinary Albertan who observes voting and counting at a voting location. It is the most direct way to see for yourself that the count is done properly — and we need people in every corner of the province.
There is a hard deadline, and it is soon
Elections Alberta requires scrutineer appointment lists to be submitted in writing to the Chief Electoral Officer no later than eight weeks before referendum voting day — which falls in late August 2026. If you are thinking about it, apply now rather than in September. Confirm the exact cut-off date with Elections Alberta.
What a scrutineer may do
- Observe voting and ballot counting procedures.
- Verify that ballot boxes are empty before they are opened for voting.
- Record elector sequence numbers and view voting records and counts.
- Challenge a voter believed to be ineligible.
- Take written notes, including on a device.
What a scrutineer may not do
- Campaign, promote a side, or wear or display any partisan material.
- Interrupt or interfere with the voting process.
- Take photographs or recordings, or make phone calls at the voting place.
- Harass, discriminate against, or threaten anyone present.
What Elections Alberta requires
- You must be an elector.
- No administrative penalty, reprimand, or conviction under election legislation in the previous ten years.
- A completed Appointment of Scrutineer form, submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer.
- An Oath of Secrecy, taken in front of the Site Supervisor on the day.
- Reading the official Guide for Scrutineers and signing the Code of Conduct.
Scrutineers are appointed through official parties, the proponent of a citizen initiative question, or registered referendum third-party advertisers — not by individuals acting alone. Send us your application and we will tell you exactly how your appointment will be handled.
Every poll, every count
Apply to be a scrutineer
Fill this in and our scrutineer coordinator will get back to you with next steps, training details, and your appointment paperwork.
Official sources
Everything on this page comes from the sources below. We would rather you read them directly than take our word for it.
Ballots get counted by people who showed up
Apply to scrutineer, become a member, or help us cover the cost of training and travel for volunteers in rural constituencies.