Overview
- Elections Alberta began distributing special ballot packages on Sept. 1 after receiving roughly 225,000 applications for the Oct. 19 10-question referendum.
- Voters can apply for a special ballot until Oct. 9 and completed special ballots must be received by mail by 5 p.m. on Oct. 16 to be counted.
- In-person voting rules changed since July so electors must vote in their home electoral division, vouching is no longer allowed, and more than 50 types of ID are accepted.
- Special ballot packages include a paid, trackable return envelope and must be returned by mail only; packages can be mailed to applicants or picked up in person but cannot be returned to local offices.
- The 225,000 requests far exceed the 59,589 special-ballot applications in 2023, prompting Elections Alberta to recruit staff in some divisions and raising the prospect that high mail-in volume will affect turnout patterns and the province-wide hand count of ballots on Oct. 19.