Alberta to hold fall referendum on separation, needs 60,000 poll workers

Alberta is gearing up for an unprecedented October 19 referendum with 10 questions — including one on separation — that will require 60,000 election workers to count 45 million ballots within 48 hours.

Elections Alberta launched its largest recruitment campaign Monday, seeking workers across all roles: site supervisors, information officers, voting officers, ballot box clerks, count officers, and supervisors. Eligible Albertans aged 16 and older can apply online; some positions require applicants to be 18.

The scale is colossal. The 45 million ballots exceed both the 1.8 million cast in Alberta's 2023 provincial election and the 19.8 million in the 2025 federal election. For context, the 1995 Quebec referendum required 57,000 workers for 4.8 million voters. This referendum will serve over 3 million eligible electors across Alberta.

Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure called it "a colossal undertaking." The agency normally has just 48 permanent staff. In 2023, it hired 13,095 election workers at a cost of approximately $37 million. This referendum will dwarf that effort.

Successful applicants will hear back in mid-July. All workers must pass a criminal history check and cannot participate in political activities while employed.

The ballot includes five immigration questions and four constitutional questions. The tenth question — on separation — will be split into two options: Alberta should remain a province in Canada, or the government should begin the legal process to hold a binding referendum on separation. Electors are not required to vote on every question. The threshold for a successful referendum is more than 50 per cent of the vote.

The province is expecting 34 to 38 million ballots will actually be cast, meaning Elections Alberta may need up to 90,000 workers depending on final turnout.