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TL;DR
Premier Danielle Smith launched AlbertaReferendum2026.ca on April 23 and said her government will actively campaign for "yes" votes on nine questions heading to the October 19 ballot.
Five questions target immigration and access to provincial services; four propose constitutional changes including Senate abolition and provincial control over judicial appointments.
Non-permanent residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers, could face a 12-month residency wait and new fees to access health care and education if proposals lead to legislation.
Smith did not say whether she would honour the results if Albertans vote "no."
Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi urged high voter turnout, saying Smith will "do what she wants anyway."
EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith launched a government website on April 23 dedicated to the province's upcoming October 19 referendum, saying her government will not remain neutral but will actively campaign to persuade Albertans to vote "yes" on nine questions covering immigration restrictions and constitutional reform.
The move changes the referendum from a consultation into a campaign. Smith said she needs a "strong mandate" from voters to pursue the changes, and her office later said the government would re-evaluate its approach and aim to align with the will of Albertans if the initiative receives a 'no' vote.
"They are government-sponsored questions, so I'm not going to just be a bystander in this," Smith said at a press conference Thursday. "We're going to be out actively persuading the public that this is the direction we want to go, but we want an endorsement from them."
What is on the ballot
The nine questions split into two categories. Five address immigration and access to provincial programs. Four propose constitutional changes.
On the immigration side, the ballot asks whether Alberta should seek greater control over immigration levels, limit eligibility for provincially funded programs to citizens, permanent residents, and people with an "Alberta-approved immigration status," require non-permanent residents to live in the province for 12 months before qualifying for social programs, charge non-permanent residents fees for health care and education, and require proof of citizenship to vote in provincial elections.
The constitutional questions ask whether provinces should select judges appointed to provincial courts, whether the Senate should be abolished, whether provinces should be able to opt out of federal programs without losing funding, and whether provincial laws should take priority over federal laws in areas of shared jurisdiction.
CBC reported Smith did not explain how her government would define "Alberta-approved immigration status," a term central to the eligibility question but not clearly spelled out in public materials.
What the website contains
The AlbertaReferendum2026.ca doesn’t seem to be a neutral information portal. CityNews Calgary reported the site includes FAQs, explainer videos, a timeline dating to 2015 titled "How did we get here?," links to the Alberta Next Panel report, and government-selected figures meant to support a yes vote. Claims on the site include; 600,000 people have moved to Alberta in the past five years, more than $1 billion per year is spent on provincial programs for temporary residents, and youth unemployment sits at 15.6 per cent.
Smith said the referendum questions were based on what the Alberta Next Panel heard most often in town halls and written submissions.
Political opposition urges Albertans to vote
Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi said "she's going to do what she wants anyway," urging Albertans to vote regardless.
Separately, the ballot could expand. The Forever Canadian citizen-led petition, which seeks to affirm Alberta should remain in Canada, collected more than 438,000 verified signatures and is now before a legislative committee. Smith said it is "very possible" that question will join the October ballot, even though the petition's organizer, Thomas Lukaszuk, has said he wants MLAs to vote on the question rather than send it to referendum.
A competing petition in favour of Alberta separation is still collecting signatures and is before the courts.
What this means for you
The October 19 vote does not change any rules on its own. A "yes" result would give the provincial government political leverage to draft and pass legislation afterward.
If you hold temporary status in Alberta, whether as an international student, temporary foreign worker, or asylum claimant, the proposals could eventually affect your access to health care, education, and social programs. No legislation has been tabled yet.
Watch for clarification on what "Alberta-approved immigration status" means in practice, any draft legislation that follows the vote, whether the ballot expands to include a question on separation, and whether the 12-month residency requirement applies to programs you currently use.
