Before You Vote: Proof of Citizenship for Provincial Elections
A Nonprofit’s Guide to Alberta’s October Referendum: Establishing new voter identity requirements
We explore Question 5 in our series breaking down the 2026 Alberta Referendum.
What the Government is Asking
Question 5 on the referendum asks:
“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?”
Voters will be asked to choose yes or no.
A ‘Yes’ vote signals support the Alberta government to require proof of Canadian citizenship in a provincial election. The government is not required to act on these changes.
A ‘No’ vote signals a lack of support for the government to pursue these changes, though it is still legally entitled to act on it.
Democracies usually try to balance the integrity of elections and maintaining access to voting. We want only eligible people to vote, and we don’t want to prevent eligible citizens from voting.
Before you vote, it’s worth understanding how voter eligibility is currently verified, what evidence exists regarding election integrity concerns, and how this proposal would affect the voting process.
Why the Government Has Proposed This Change
The Government of Alberta supports a ‘Yes’ to this question and says current rules around citizenship verification at the ballot box aren’t clear enough. Requiring proof of citizenship at the polls, including the new citizenship indicator being added to driver’s licences and ID cards, would close that gap. The stated goal is simple: make sure only Canadian citizens who live in Alberta are represented in provincial election outcomes.
The government is proposing a change that addresses that integrity, with a stated purpose to ensure only eligible Canadian citizens vote in provincial elections and strengthen public confidence in electoral process. It’s unclear whether this change was proposed in response to an ongoing issue or if it’s a preventative measure.
For Nonprofits
Unlike the preceding referendum questions related to immigration, this one is less likely to affect nonprofit operations directly. Instead, it may affect whether the people your organization serves can easily participate in provincial elections. While the government's proposal focuses on electoral integrity, many nonprofits may be thinking about how changes to the rules affect access.
Question 5 does not change who is eligible to vote. Provincial elections in Alberta are already limited to Canadian citizens who are 18 or older and ordinarily resident in the province. What could change is the documentation voters need to prove their eligibility at the polling station. Currently, Alberta accepts a broad range of identification. This question asks whether voters should also provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card.
For many voters, this will not make a practical difference. However, additional documentation requirements could create more barriers for eligible voters who may not have these specific documents readily available, including some Indigenous voters, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Nonprofit organizations often work more closely with these communities and may have a clearer understanding than government of the practical barriers people face. Frontline staff may know whether clients have access to a passport, whether a birth certificate has been lost or is difficult to replace, or whether a citizenship card was retained after becoming a Canadian citizen.
Some nonprofit organizations also play a direct role in the voting process by hosting mobile voting stations or helping clients complete voter identification attestations. If new identification requirements were introduced, organizations supporting voters would need to understand the new requirements, any available accommodations, and help clients navigate the process where needed.
Voters can check their registration status online or by contacting Elections Alberta.
Vouching – where a registered voter can vouch for the identity and residence of another unregistered voter in the same riding – was removed as an accepted form of identification in 2025.
Since 2010, Elections Alberta has recorded 5 instances of ineligible voters participating in Alberta’s elections. Two U.S citizens voted in the 2019 provincial general election.
If Question 5 becomes law, Alberta would be the first Canadian province to require a citizenship-specific document to vote.
Current Rules & Voting Practices
Only Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old and are an ordinary resident of Alberta are eligible to vote in provincial elections. Ordinary resident means the individual resides in Alberta or, if they are temporarily away, intends to return. For example, post-secondary students from Alberta who are studying in another province or abroad remain eligible to vote if they intend to return to Alberta after completing their studies.
Eligible voters do not need to register in advance to vote, but doing so makes the process faster. Being a registered voter means a person’s name, address, and eligibility details are already on file with Elections Alberta – from a previous election or from newly registering – so they can skip extra paperwork at the polls. An unregistered voter can still vote by showing ID and completing a declaration form on the spot.
Voters must prove their identity in one of three ways:
One piece of government-issued photo ID showing their full name, current address, and photo.
Two pieces of identification, both showing their full name and one showing their current address.
An attestation form, where an authorized signatory completes a form confirming the voter’s identity and residency before the voter goes to the polls. This is limited to electors in specific circumstances.
Alberta provides several accommodations to increase access to voting, such as mobile voting stations and mail-in ballots.
Elections Alberta investigates and administers penalties for cases of fraudulent voting which is considered a corrupt practice. Corrupt practices are serious offences carrying fines up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 2 years. These cases are tried in the Court of King’s Bench. When a person who is not eligible to vote attempts to, or does, submit a ballot, the Election Commissioner determines an outcome – a financial penalty or letter of reprimand - using a penalty framework.
Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees every Canadian citizen the right to vote in federal and provincial elections.
Question 5 would not change who is eligible to vote. Instead, it would change how eligible voters prove their citizenship at the polling station. While Canadian citizenship is already a requirement to vote, neither Alberta nor the federal government currently requires voters to present documentary proof of citizenship. Question 5 would change that for Alberta provincial elections.
Various Canadian court decisions and reviews of election laws have recognized that identification requirements can create barriers for some eligible voters, including some seniors, First Nations electors, and young people. At the same time, governments have a legitimate interest in protecting the integrity of elections. The challenge is balancing both objectives: ensuring only eligible citizens vote while making it practical for eligible citizens to cast a ballot.
If Alberta introduces a proof-of-citizenship requirement, any new identification rules would still need to comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Courts have generally distinguished between reasonable identification requirements and requirements that create unnecessary barriers for eligible voters.
How Nonprofits Can Get Involved
Interested in learning more about how you and your organization can get involved? See our post on the rules of engaging with the referendum, so that you and your organization can advocate responsibly.
Stay tuned for the next post. If you have any questions, reach out to us - policy@thenonprofitchamber.org