More than 300 advance polls open across Alberta in historic referendum on separation
Alberta has begun five days of advanced voting for a referendum regarding the province's future within Canada. Premier Danielle Smith is seeking public support for increased provincial autonomy and potential separation from the Confederation.
Why it matters
The referendum represents a significant constitutional challenge to Canadian national unity and federal-provincial relations.
Albertans — some sporting Canadian flags on their clothes — trooped to the polls Tuesday to decide whether the province should still be a part of Canada.
Elections Alberta opened the doors at just over 300 polling stations for the first of five days of advanced voting ahead of the official Alberta referendum polling day on Oct. 19.
It was a day of long lineups, short lineups, a few tech glitches and, for comic relief, a face full of stickers.
In Edmonton, one downtown polling station saw a lineup that stretched almost half a block after doors opened at 9 a.m., with voters spending anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour to cast their ballots.
Some Edmonton voters wore their vote on their sleeves by donning hats or sweaters with the Canadian flag. One of them was Christopher Hashmi.
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