A new poll suggests most Albertans would vote to remain in Canada if a provincial referendum on independence were held today, even as many say the proposed ballot question is difficult to understand.The Angus Reid Institute survey released Monday found 61% of Albertans would vote against beginning a legal process toward separation in the Oct. 19 referendum proposed by Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP government, while 36% said they would support it.The referendum question asks Albertans whether the province should “start a legal process” that could eventually lead to a binding vote on independence from Canada.But the poll found 51% of respondents described the wording as confusing.When asked a simpler question about whether Alberta should leave Canada or remain, support for staying in Confederation climbed to 67%, while 31% said they would support independence.The survey also found widespread dissatisfaction with Smith’s handling of the issue.According to Angus Reid, 56% of Albertans said the premier has handled the separation debate poorly.Criticism of Smith was strongest among respondents who already oppose both the UCP and the sovereignty movement, though the poll suggested skepticism about the premier’s motives extends beyond her political opponents..The referendum has placed Alberta federalists and those who want independence on a five-month campaign path ahead of the October vote, with both sides now mobilizing to shape public opinion on one of the most consequential political questions in the province’s history.Smith’s government has argued the referendum is about giving Albertans a voice on Ottawa’s treatment of the province and Alberta’s future within Confederation.
