Forever Canadian launches get-out-the-vote push before Oct. 19 referendum
With advance voting starting Oct. 13, the pro-unity group is deploying volunteers province-wide to urge Albertans to choose Option 1 on Question 10.
Why it matters
The referendum outcome could determine Alberta's constitutional relationship with Canada, making voter turnout and ballot clarity central to the province's political future.
Forever Canadian, the group campaigning to keep Alberta in Canada, has shifted its efforts to voter turnout as the province's Oct. 19 referendum nears, launching a "Get Out the Vote" campaign. Spokesperson Thomas Lukaszuk, a former deputy premier, said the move responds to demands from volunteers and supporters after the organization's repeated calls for Premier Danielle Smith to cancel or postpone the vote went unanswered.
The group says it has collected nearly half a million petition signatures backing continued national unity and that more than 80,000 "Choose Unity" lawn signs are now displayed across Alberta. Its unity bus tour has covered close to 40,000 kilometres visiting communities province-wide, and organizers point to a recent Calgary concert featuring Jann Arden that drew more than 10,000 attendees as a catalyst for the renewed push.
Lukaszuk said Forever Canadian will spend the campaign's final month working to counter misinformation and explain the ten referendum ballot questions, while specifically advising voters to select Option 1 on Question 10 to keep Alberta in Canada.
Elections Alberta has published locations for more than 1,400 polling stations ahead of the vote, with Albertans able to search by address on the agency's website or wait for a Where to Vote card. Advance voting runs Oct. 13 to 17 at 310 stations, and officials say they are anticipating record turnout.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.