Alberta finalizes wording for referendum question on separation
Posted May 28, 2026 12:48 pm.
Last Updated May 28, 2026 3:07 pm.
The province has settled on the official phrasing of the separation question that will be put to Albertans this fall.
Premier Danielle Smith and her cabinet approved an order‑in‑council on Thursday confirming the wording of the question that will appear on the Oct. 19 referendum ballot.
The ballot will give Albertans two choices: Alberta should remain a province in Canada, or the government should begin the legal process required to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving Canada.
The phrasing matches what Smith outlined in her televised address last week.
The decision to add the question follows a Court of King’s Bench ruling that struck down the “Stay Free Alberta” separation petition for failing to consult with First Nations. Smith has called the ruling a misinterpretation of the duty to consult and an infringement on democratic rights.
Because the decision prevents Elections Alberta from validating signatures or holding a binding referendum until the appeals are resolved, the premier says this new question is the only way for Albertans to weigh in on separation this year.
Elections Alberta says the separation question will appear at the top of a stack of 10 colour‑coded ballots. Albertans will also be asked nine other questions on immigration policy and potential constitutional reforms.
The ten question on the Oct. 19 referendum ballot can be found here.
Officials estimate as many as 38 million printed ballots will be required and up to 90,000 election officers will be needed to count them.
