EDMONTON — Elections Alberta has said Alberta's referendum will be unlike any ever held in Canada, and with Oct. 19 quickly approaching, Albertans should know the details, dates, and deadlines leading up to and on referendum day. "Scale, scope, and content is really, nothing has happened like this before here," said Alberta's deputy chief electoral officer, Dallas Stoesz, to reporters on Sept. 3. "So it's a real honour to be a part of this and to be able to help deliver this to Albertans, and we appreciate the trust in us, and we are doing everything to make sure that this goes as well as it possibly can." Elections Alberta warns about the referendum's unique challenges, but the difficulties aren't only behind the scenes. Albertans will notice some changes, too. With that in mind, here is a starter’s guide for Albertans. .Registering to voteAlbertans can register to vote on the Elections Alberta website before Oct. 7, by phone or at their local returning office by Oct. 10, or at their polling location on advance voting or referendum day. Voting daysRecent legislative changes have opened the door for all Albertans to request a special ballot package. Elections Alberta said they have received 610,000 special ballot requests as of Tuesday. Albertans have until Sept. 25 at midnight to request a package, which then must be returned by 5 p.m. on Oct. 16. Packages will include 10 ballots and an attestation form for the voter to sign. Voters will also be required to photocopy their proof of residency and citizenship and mail it with the ballots in the provided envelope. Advanced voting stations will also run from Oct. 13 through 17. Referendum day is Oct. 19, and polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can go to any station in their district for advanced voting, but must go to their assigned location on referendum day. .10 Questions, 10 Ballots The Alberta independence debate has dominated attention leading up to the referendum, to the point where some Albertans may have forgotten Premier Danielle Smith's nine initial referendum questions on immigration control, judicial selection, Senate reform, and provincial jurisdiction. Elections Alberta has said part of the difficulty with the referendum is the number of questions that must be counted by hand. Because of this, they said each question will receive its own ballot. Ballots will also be colour-coded to help on referendum day. Officials anticipate an 80-85% voter turnout, and because of the number and complexity of the questions, Albertans can expect longer lines at voting stations. Elections Alberta has said voters can help expedite the process by coming prepared to know the ballot questions. .ResultsElections Alberta must complete unofficial counts by 8 p.m. on Oct. 21, but they said results will be posted as counts are completed. The office intends to start by counting the Alberta independence question, after which it will begin counting the remaining questions in numerical order. They anticipate that Alberta independence question ballots will be counted by "early morning" on Oct. 20."There are no breaks; It is straight through," Stoesz said. "We do not have the option to go home and sleep and come back the next day and start. We have 48 hours from the time voting ends to complete the count, which is why we are working in shifts. We will have people working around the clock."Official results will be announced on Oct. 29 at 10 a.m.
