Alberta voters reject provincial separation by wide margin

Posted on October 29, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

• Local results much tighter in Taber-Warner

By Trevor Busch
Commentator/Courier
editor@tabertimes.com

The votes have all been cast in Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum, and while some polls were still to report as of press deadline, it remains clear that Albertans have rejected the idea of the province separating from Canada by a resounding 74.9 per cent. 

In terms of interest among the electorate, standing head and shoulders above the rest was Question 10 (i.e. should Alberta separate from Canada) which as of press deadline saw 1,549,769 total votes to remain versus 519,210 opting for a binding referendum, with the total remain vote coming in at 74.9 per cent versus 25 per cent in favour of a binding referendum. 

Locally in Taber-Warner, and in general across many rural parts of the province, the Oct. 19 vote was a much different story with the result significantly tighter than the province as a whole. With 99 per cent of voting locations reporting as of press deadline, there were 18,500 total votes cast, with 9,932 voting to remain (53.6 per cent) followed closely by 8,568 who opted for a binding referendum (46.3 per cent).

In terms of Questions 1-9, which dealt with immigration and constitutional issues, results in the province as a whole were mixed ranging from the high 40 per cent to low 50 per cent range. However, it was again a question of two Albertas with urban versus rural, as results for Taber-Warner registered in the high 60 to low 70 per cent range.

On Question 1 (i.e. taking increased control over immigration) as of deadline, Albertans voted 54.8 per cent in favour, with 45.1 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 74.8 voted in favour, with 25.5 per cent voting no.

On Question 2 (i.e. only citizens eligible for programs) as of deadline, Albertans voted 52.5 per cent in favour, with 47.4 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 72.4 per cent voted in favour, with 27.5 per cent voting no.

On Question 3 (i.e. 12 month residency requirement) as of deadline, Albertans voted 53.1 per cent in favour, with 46.8 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 73.7 per cent voted in favour, with 26.2 per cent voting no.

On Question 4 (i.e. charging fee to non-residents) as of deadline, Albertans voted 52 per cent in favour, with 47.9 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 71.4 per cent voted in favour, with 28.5 per cent voting no.

On Question 5 (i.e. proof of citizenship) as of deadline, Albertans voted 58 per cent in favour, with 41.9 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 78 per cent voted in favour, with 21.9 per cent voting no.

On Question 6 (i.e. provincial court appointments) as of deadline, Albertans voted 45.2 per cent in favour, with 54.7 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 69.2 per cent voted in favour, with 30.7 per cent voting no.

On Question 7 (i.e. abolishing federal Senate) as of deadline, Albertans voted 47.3 per cent in favour, with 52.6 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 70.1 per cent voted in favour, with 29.8 per cent voting no.

On Question 8 (i.e. opting out of federal programs) as of deadline, Albertans voted 42.3 per cent in favour, with 57.6 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 65.4 per cent voted in favour, with 34.5 per cent voting no.

On Question 9 (i.e. provincial laws supersede federal) as of deadline, Albertans voted 44.4 per cent in favour, with 55.5 per cent voting no. In Taber-Warner, 68.5 per cent voted in favour, with 31.5 per cent voting no.

As of our deadline on Oct. 23, Elections Alberta was reporting 20,443,167 valid votes had been cast across all 10 questions with 99 per cent of voting locations reporting. On Referendum Day (or Election Day as referenced by Elections Alberta) 6,893,587 votes were cast (33.7 per cent of total). In Advance Voting, 8,242,078 votes were cast (40.3 per cent), Mobile Voting saw 198,027 votes cast (0.97 per cent) while Special Ballots received totalled 5,109,533 (24.9 per cent). 

According to Elections Alberta, extended hours impacted unofficial results reporting times.

In the Taber-Warner riding, voting hours were extended at several locations for a short period, including Foremost Community Hall (8:11 p.m.), Bow Island Legion (8:14 p.m.), and Taber Christian Elementary School (8:15 p.m.).

Official results are expected from Elections Alberta by Thursday, Oct. 29.