Survey suggests referendum fatigue, growing unease among many Albertans
Posted May 13, 2026 3:35 pm.
Last Updated May 13, 2026 6:32 pm.
Findings from a new survey point to rising frustration in Alberta ahead of a referendum this fall, with many residents signalling they’ve had enough.
Probe Research says its latest survey shows more than half of Albertans feel negatively about the upcoming referendum questions.
Earlier this year, Premier Danielle Smith announced the October referendum, which will ask Albertans nine questions, allowing them to weigh in on changes to immigration policy and potential constitutional reforms.
The recent survey, which included an oversample of 600 Calgary residents, suggests frustration is mounting just five months before voters head to the polls.
Just less than 1-in-5 respondents, 18 per cent, say they’re “fed up” with the referendum process. Another 15 per cent call if “wasteful and pointless.”
Only one-quarter of respondents describe the referendum questions in positive terms.
A majority also say the ongoing separation debate in the province is hurting the economy and distracting from issues they consider more urgent. If a vote on leaving Canada were held today, seven in ten Albertans say they would vote No.
Just over half of UCP supporters back the referendum process, with 46 percent of NDP supporters considering it wasteful. Calgarians interviewed for the survey did not specify political affiliation, but most echoed concerns about unnecessary spending.
Researchers say the data points to a province that is politically divided, but still largely opposed to separation.
The survey found minimal support for more extreme proposals, including the idea of Alberta joining the United States. Most respondents rejected the concept outright.
On Wednesday, an Alberta judge quashed a separatist petition, ruling the provincial government had a duty to consult First Nations before allowing such a question on the ballot.
Lawyers representing several First Nations argued the referendum process is unconstitutional without Indigenous consultation. The separatist organization Stay Free Alberta had submitted a petition claiming nearly 302,000 signatures, surpassing the 178,000-signature threshold.
The group has vowed to appeal the judges decision to quash it.
Smith previously said that if the petition met requirements, the question would appear on the fall ballot.
The Probe Research survey was conducted online between April 27 and May 6, with 1,484 adults across the province.
With files from The Canadian Press
