Alberta referendum polls open until 8 p.m. Monday

Most Election Day voting places for Alberta’s provincial referendum opened on schedule Monday and will stay open until 8 p.m., Elections Alberta said.

Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure confirmed the openings in a news release Monday. The agency said locations that opened after the planned 9 a.m. start will close later, and that it would post those closing times on its Where Do I Vote page.

Voters must cast their ballots at the voting place assigned to their home address. That location is listed on the Where to Vote card mailed to each household, through the agency’s online lookup tool and through its service centre at 1-877-422-8683, which is open until 8 p.m. Monday.

Each voter receives 10 colour-coded ballots, one for each referendum question, and places each ballot in its own box. Voters may decline any of the ballots. Elections Alberta asked voters to read the questions before going to the polls.

Canadian citizens who are 18 or older and ordinarily live in Alberta are eligible to vote. Those not already on the voters list can register at their voting place.

Voters must prove their identity and current address. One piece of government-issued photo ID showing a current address is enough, as are two pieces of ID that both show the voter’s name, with one showing an address, such as a utility bill. The agency said there are more than 50 accepted options. The Where to Vote card does not count as identification.

Unused special ballot packages will not be accepted at voting places, the agency said, and should be shredded at home. Voters can use their phones to text inside a voting place but cannot take photos, record or make calls, and smart glasses are not allowed.

Under Alberta’s Election Act, workers are entitled to three consecutive hours away from work to vote, either during advance voting or on election day. Employers whose schedules don’t allow that must provide paid time off, at a time the employer chooses. Voters who already cast a ballot in advance or by mail are not eligible.

No results will be posted until every voting place in the province has closed. All ballots are counted by hand. Results for Question 10 will be released first, followed by Questions 1 through 9, each reported province-wide and by electoral division at results.elections.ab.ca.

Provincial regulations require the unofficial count to be finished within 48 hours of polls closing. Official results are scheduled to be announced Oct. 29.