Alberta referendum results delayed two hours after Edmonton polling station reopens late

Alberta's referendum results will be delayed until 10 p.m. Monday because one Edmonton polling station won't close until that time, Elections Alberta said.

The Westminster School station in Glenora opened on schedule at 9 a.m. but had to shut down mid-morning when staff discovered the voting booths had been set up incorrectly. The location reopened at noon after reconfiguration. Under Elections Alberta policy, any station that opens late gets extended closing hours, so the poll was kept open until 10 p.m. — two hours past the scheduled 8 p.m. close. Unofficial results from the entire province are released only after all voting locations confirm they've closed.

One hundred and six polling stations across Alberta had extended closing times Monday, ranging from 8:10 p.m. to 10 p.m., due to various late-opening issues Elections Alberta said have been resolved. "People are asked to be patient and be kind," Elections Alberta said in a statement. "Workers at voting locations are your friends, your neighbours, and your fellow Albertans."

Voters at Westminster experienced substantial delays. Lisa Sankeralli waited about two hours before she could cast a ballot. "They came and told us that they had to shut down because everything was set up wrong," she said. Brian Webb arrived at 9:15 a.m. and found the station closed for over two hours. Justina Paradis said she was glad she had the time to wait, but "a lot of people came in, heard about the situation, and left because they could not wait." Some voters left without voting due to the closure and extended wait times.

The referendum asks Albertans 10 questions, including one on provincial separation.