EDMONTON — After decades of movement bubbling under the surface, Albertans will get their chance on Monday to vote on Alberta independence in a referendum, but the historic referendum also creates a unique challenge for voters. Albertans will vote on whether they want to remain in Canada or whether the Government of Alberta should begin the legal process to hold a binding referendum on Alberta independence. Although Monday's referendum gives Albertans their first official chance to vote on Alberta independence, even if not directly, it has drawn much of the headlines, but the referendum includes nine other questions."This is absolutely a historic event," said Alberta's deputy chief electoral officer, Dallas Stoesz, on Sept. 3. "Not only has Alberta never done anything like this. No, nowhere in Canada has done anything like this before.".Voters will receive 10 referendum ballots, one per question, which must be counted by hand, within 24 hours. Over 1.35 million, 43% of eligible Albertans, voted in the referendum before advance polls closed on Saturday, meaning 13.5 million ballots were cast before referendum day if everyone voted on each question. This includes 837,791 advance voters and 519,082 special ballots requested. Despite the large turnout, Elections Alberta said in September that it forecasts up to 85% voter turnout in the referendum, meaning another 13.5 million ballots could be cast on Monday. This high anticipated turnout is why Elections Alberta encouraged people to come to the polls with the required ID ready, because long delays and complex questions could create additional delays. "We're really encouraging Albertans to read those questions in advance and work to understand those questions in advance before they come into the voting locations, because beyond having the posters and information about what the questions are, we won't be able to offer any explanation on what the questions mean or the intent of the questions," said an official on Sept. 3. .Polls will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, and lines will close at 8 p.m. Electors must go to their assigned voting locations. Voters who have not yet registered to vote can do so at their assigned location. Individuals who received special ballots but did not submit them in time can vote at their assigned location on Monday. Ballot counting will begin once every voter inside a location has voted, beginning with the Alberta independence question, before tallying the other nine questions in order. Elections Alberta will publish live results as they arrive, and the office says it expects to have the Alberta independence ballots counted by "early morning" on Tuesday. The Western Standard will have live coverage and reaction to the results beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. The elections office has until Wednesday at 8 p.m. to produce unofficial counts for each question.
