A pro-immigration group has complained to Elections Alberta that Alberta’s referendum website uses public funds to promote one side of upcoming votes.
A pro-immigration group has asked Elections Alberta to review Alberta’s referendum website, alleging the provincial government is using public money to promote one side of upcoming votes on immigration and constitutional questions.
Our Alberta Advantage, co-founded by Edmonton lawyer Avnish Nanda, says the Alberta Referendum 2026 site presents selected information in ways that could steer voters toward “yes” responses. The complaint puts new scrutiny on how far a government can go in publicly funded messaging before a standalone referendum.
Nanda pointed to a section saying temporary residents cost Alberta taxpayers more than $1 billion annually in social services, alongside a question on whether non-permanent residents should pay a provincial fee to use health care and education systems. He said the page is misleading because it does not also say how much newcomers pay in taxes while living, working or studying in Alberta.
“That undermines the spirit of democracy,” Nanda told CBC News.
Albertans are scheduled to vote Oct. 19 on nine referendum questions flowing from issues raised during Alberta Next Panel town halls. The questions cover constitutional matters and proposed changes to the immigration system.
The province says the website is intended to give voters clear information about the questions and the meaning of their votes. Heather Jenkins, a spokesperson for the justice minister’s office, told CBC News that election-law restrictions on government advertising that apply to referendums held alongside general or local elections do not apply to standalone referendums.
That distinction is central to the dispute. An amendment to Alberta’s Election Act approved last year removed restrictions on government advertising for a standalone referendum. Nanda called the change a loophole and said he wants Elections Alberta to apply the same standard to referendum campaigns regardless of whether they coincide with an election.
Premier Danielle Smith, speaking at a news conference last week, said the website is meant to make facts accessible while also acknowledging the government is advocating for its preferred policies. She said the government is seeking a mandate and is not neutral on the questions.
Political scientist Lori Williams of Mount Royal University said governments commonly put forward referendum questions they support, but voters need enough information to judge the claims behind them. She said data supporting the province’s conclusions should be available for independent assessment.
The website has also drawn public criticism outside the formal complaint. Stephen Elaschuk, an information technology worker in Strathmore, launched a parody site called “Alberta Referendumb” shortly after the government site went live, saying the province’s messaging gave voters only one side of the story.
Elections Alberta’s response to the complaint was not included in the source material. For now, the central question is whether the province’s new standalone-referendum rules allow the government to advocate with public resources — and whether the elections agency will intervene before Albertans vote.
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