Alberta's remain-in-Canada option holds wide lead in referendum count

The option for Alberta to remain in Canada held a wide lead over starting the process toward a future separation referendum in Elections Alberta's unofficial count from the October 19 provincial vote.¹

The tally checked for this report showed 1,435,328 votes for remaining in Canada, compared with 471,428 for beginning the legal process toward another referendum. A total of 1,906,756 valid votes had been counted on Question 10.¹

The choice on the ballot was not whether Alberta should leave Canada immediately. The second option called for the provincial government to begin the constitutional process needed to hold a later, binding referendum on whether Alberta should separate from Canada.¹

Across all referendum questions, 4,817 of 5,583 voting areas and locations had begun reporting. That measure counts a location once it has submitted at least one question; it does not establish that every question is fully counted there.¹

The figures remain unofficial. Elections Alberta says the results undergo verification and will not be final until official results are published on October 29, 2026. Ballots from advance, election-day, mobile and special-ballot voting are being counted by hand.²

Question 10 is being counted and reported first, ahead of Questions 1 to 9. The election authority says returns are released as local returning offices confirm and enter completed counts, rather than waiting for every counting team in an electoral division to finish.²