Mail-in ballot requests top 610,000 ahead of Alberta's Oct. 19 referendum
Elections Alberta says demand for mail-in voting keeps climbing as the deadline to apply approaches this Friday.
Why it matters
The referendum will determine whether Alberta pursues a future vote on leaving Canada, and the mail-in deadline directly affects Albertans' ability to participate.
Elections Alberta says applications for mail-in ballots ahead of next month's referendum have surpassed 610,000, an increase of about 90,000 since Friday. The agency says the numbers reflect growing interest in voting by mail for the Oct. 19 vote.
Albertans have until midnight Friday to apply for a special mail-in ballot. Completed ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. on Oct. 16 in order to be counted.
The referendum will ask Albertans whether they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on separating from the country. Elections Alberta is expecting record voter turnout for the vote.
Running the referendum is a large logistical effort for the agency, which says it has hired more than 28,000 workers and received almost 52,000 job applications.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.