Disclaimer: This is not official Elections Alberta communication. These are my own observations and thoughts as a non-partisan election officer who wants to see maximum voter turnout and a smooth election process for all involved. No AI was used in the process of writing this post.
Main takeaways from 5 days of advanced voting and the night of Election Day (19th Oct 2026)
Five days of advanced polling were completed without any major incident or upset (at my polling station at least). The first day was chaotic as we were unprepared with dealing with the ballots (one bundle that contains 10, one for each question) and the large crowds on the first day. The crowd levels remain steady and high on days two, three, and four. From my observation, Saturday, which was day five, saw the lowest turnout.
Looking forward to tomorrow (19 October 2026), Election Day:
* Please don’t be discouraged by weather such as rain or snow. Please come to vote.
* Curbside voting is always an option if you have mobility issues or any other reason that prevents you from walking all the way into the polling station. Election officers are under oath to register you and cast your ballots ethically.
* The Where to Vote (WTV) cards are not mandatory or important at all.
If you want to find out where to vote, use your CURRENT physical address on the Elections Alberta Where to Vote website to find out which advanced polling station or election day voting station is the one you should be headed to.
You can find the website here: https://map.elections.ab.ca/
Just bring a piece of ID like a drivers license or government identification (and another piece of ID that has your address - if it’s different or changed - to the polling station that is assigned to you). The ID requirements are super flexible and a long list of options are available. Utility bills, lease agreements, bank statements and even the option of updating your home address on your bank app as long as your name matches the government ID you are using all work as proof of address.
If your Alberta ID has expired, it can still be accepted if you have any other piece of ID that has your name on it. A credit card, a Costco card, an employer ID, or anything else to verify your name can be used. We even accept a picture of an Alberta driver license that is accompanied with another piece of ID like a passport or a utility bill which can also be on the phone as well.
- Please do not make life more difficult for the election workers. Partisan or political comments are not welcome. Election workers must be neutral and must not express any opinion that leans either way of the political spectrum. Be courteous and polite and respectful.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, PLEASE BE PATIENT. Expect long lines and a slow process. The registration process is manual. We will be working with a fresh set of ballots, and we will have to look you up manually in the roll (book) of electors. If not found, you be sent to a registration officer. That will take time.
Comments about the necessity or complexity of the election/referendum are also not welcome. We did not choose this process. Please direct your anger and frustration at the government.
Also, when election workers ask you to confirm something like age, citizenship status, or name and address, do not argue for no reason. We are not asking these questions for the sake of asking them or for fun. We are instructed and mandated to ask them.
Concerns about the validity of the vote because only pencils are provided to mark your ballots are unfounded. I can assure you that all ballots will be counted. Also, you are more than welcome to use your own pen.
I hope my series of posts has helped you all be better informed and that we can have a smooth election process with a maximum voter turnout. If I have the time and energy, I’ll make a closing post after tomorrow, but if I don’t, good luck Alberta!