Know Before You Vote!
The SMCA Board encourages all community members to take the time to understand the upcoming referendum and each of the questions before casting your vote. Take the time to get informed, consider the information available, and make your voice heard!
What: In a referendum, electors are asked to respond to a question, generally with a “yes” or “no” vote, although other questions providing a choice are possible.
When: A referendum has been set for Monday, October 19, 2026.
Why: The Alberta government is putting 10 questions to voters. The referendum grew out of Premier Danielle Smith’s “Alberta Next” initiative, which was intended to ask Albertans how the province should respond to concerns about Ottawa and how Alberta’s relationship with the federal government should work.
What are the Questions?
We’ll start with Question 10, which asks Albertans about Alberta’s future within Canada. Question 10 is a choice question between two options. Electors will select one choice only.
- Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
Option 1: Alberta should remain a province of Canada.
Option 2: The Government of Alberta should commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.
Questions 1–9 are yes/no questions. Electors will mark either “Yes” or “No” on their ballot for each question.
- Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
- Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
- Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?
- Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the healthcare and education systems?
- Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
- Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts?
- Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?
- Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?
- Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province’s laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province’s laws and federal laws conflict?
Do I have to vote on all 10 questions?
No. Voters can choose to decline as many of the 10 ballots as they wish. Any ballots a voter declines will be kept in envelopes, and also tallied. This option means voter turnout for each referendum question could be different.
What is the SMCA’s stance on the referendum?
The SMCA Board and Sandstone & MacEwan Community Association remain neutral on the referendum and its individual questions. While Board members and volunteers may hold their own personal views, the Association’s role is to share information, encourage engagement, and help residents make informed decisions.
