Alberta's 19 October 2026 referendum: the immigration questions, explained

The ten questions at a glance

The Government of Alberta put ten questions to voters through three Orders in Council under the Referendum Act: O.C. 109/2026 and O.C. 110/2026, both approved on 31 March 2026, and O.C. 160/2026, approved on 28 May 2026, which added question 10. Each question is on its own numbered, colour-coded ballot. Questions 1 to 9 are answered yes or no, and question 10 offers a choice between two options (Elections Alberta, read 5 October 2026).

Questions 1 to 5: immigration, immigration status and voting

These five questions are set out in O.C. 110/2026, approved on 31 March 2026. The order requires a yes or no answer to each and states that "the results of the referendum are not to be binding" (O.C. 110/2026).

Question 1: provincial control over immigration

Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?

The wording names three purposes: decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities. It does not specify how the Government of Alberta would take increased control.

Question 2: eligibility for provincially-funded programs by immigration status

Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?

The wording names three groups that would be eligible: Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status. It gives health care, education and other social services as examples of provincially-funded programs, and it does not define "Alberta-approved immigration status".

Question 3: twelve months of residence for people with non-permanent status

Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?

The wording starts from an assumption that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify as they do now, and it asks about a law for individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status. It does not list the social support programs.

Question 4: a fee or premium for health care and education for people with non-permanent status

Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the healthcare and education systems?

The wording starts from the same assumption for public health care and education, and it asks about a reasonable fee or premium for individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta and for their families. It does not state an amount.

Question 5: proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections

Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?

The wording concerns voting in provincial elections rather than immigration programs.

Question 10: remain in Canada, or commence the legal process for a binding referendum on separation

Question 10 is the only choice question. O.C. 160/2026, approved on 28 May 2026, sets the wording and the two options, requires voters to select only one, and states that the result is not to be binding (O.C. 160/2026).

Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?

• Option 1: Alberta should remain a province of Canada.
• Option 2: The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.

Option 2 refers to commencing the legal process to hold a binding provincial referendum, not to separation itself.

Questions 6 to 9: constitutional amendments

O.C. 109/2026, approved on 31 March 2026, sets four constitutional questions, each answered yes or no (O.C. 109/2026). None of them mentions immigration.

Question 6: who selects provincial court judges

Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts?

Question 7: the Senate

Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?

Question 8: opting out of federal programs

Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?

Question 9: priority of provincial laws over federal laws

Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province’s laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province’s laws and federal laws conflict?

Who can vote in the Alberta referendum?

Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old on Election Day and ordinarily resident in Alberta can vote, so permanent residents, temporary residents and visitors cannot (Elections Alberta, read 5 October 2026). The Referendum Act applies the Election Act's voter eligibility to a referendum (section 6(2)).

• Election Day: Monday 19 October 2026, with all voting locations open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm at the voter's assigned voting place.
• Advance voting: Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October, at any advance voting location in the voter's electoral division.
• Special ballot (vote by mail): applications closed on 25 September, and completed packages must reach Elections Alberta by 5:00 pm on 16 October.
• Registration and ID: voters can register online until 7 October or at a voting place, and every voter must prove their name and physical address.

How are the results counted and announced?

Ballots are counted by hand and results are reported in ballot order, so question 10 is counted first at each voting place, and the Referendum (General) Regulation requires the unofficial count to be completed within 48 hours of the close of voting when there are seven or more questions. Elections Alberta publishes unofficial results by question, electoral division and voting method as counts finish, and it will announce the official results on 29 October 2026 at 10:00 am (Elections Alberta, 2026 referendum page). Under the Referendum Act the Chief Electoral Officer announces the results and the Minister reports them to the Legislative Assembly (section 9). We will add the official results and any dated government response to this page after 29 October 2026.

Are the Alberta referendum results binding?

Not for the immigration questions: O.C. 110/2026 states that the results of questions 1 to 5 are not to be binding, and O.C. 160/2026 states the same for question 10.

The Referendum Act lets the Lieutenant Governor in Council order a referendum on a matter of public interest other than a constitutional question, and the order must say whether the results are binding (section 5.1(2)(d)). A result is binding only if the order says so and a majority votes the same way (section 5.2). Questions 6 to 9 are different: O.C. 109/2026 is made under section 1 of the Act, which covers questions relating to the Constitution of Canada. Section 4 provides that if a majority of ballots on such a question vote the same way, the result is binding on the government that initiated the referendum, which must as soon as practicable take any steps within the competence of the Government of Alberta that it considers necessary or advisable to implement it, and which is not required to implement a result if doing so would contravene sections 1 to 35.1 of the Constitution Act, 1982 (Referendum Act, consolidation current as of 11 December 2025).

What would a result change legally?

A result on questions 1 to 5 changes no law, program, fee or eligibility rule by itself: the order says it is not binding, and a proposal that takes the form of a law would have to be introduced, passed and brought into force before anything changed.

Immigration is a shared federal and provincial responsibility, as the Government of Alberta itself states (alberta.ca, 1 April 2026), and section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867 gives both Parliament and the provincial legislatures power to make laws about immigration, with a provincial law having effect only so far as it is not repugnant to an Act of Parliament (Justice Laws).

What stays the same today

• Federal programs: work permits, study permits and permanent residence applications are decided under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which the referendum does not amend. Our levels plan guide tracks the federal targets.
• Alberta programs: the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program and Alberta health coverage keep the rules Alberta has published. See our Alberta immigration guide and our AHCIP guide.
• Changes: any change would come through a new law or regulation, announced by the Government of Alberta or the Government of Canada, not through the vote itself.

A related Alberta law that is not on the ballot

Separately from the referendum, Alberta's Immigration Oversight Act received royal assent on 14 May 2026. The Government of Alberta describes it as establishing a registry for employers who want to access the temporary foreign workforce and a licensing system for immigration consultants and foreign worker recruiters, and says it comes into force on proclamation, with the details to follow in regulations (alberta.ca, read 5 October 2026). It is not one of the ten questions.

How the questions came about

A Government of Alberta news release dated 20 February 2026 set out nine questions for the 19 October vote, and O.C. 160/2026 added question 10 on 28 May 2026 (alberta.ca, 20 February 2026). Earlier coverage that refers to nine questions predates the tenth. For the federal side of the same subject, see our Carney immigration policy tracker.

Sources and when we checked them

Compliance note. Wild Mountain Immigration is a licensed RCIC practice (CICC R706497) working online across Canada. This page is general information about a provincial vote. It is not legal advice, it does not advise anyone how to vote, and it is not a prediction of any outcome. We do not advise on Quebec programs.