Smith to act first on proof of citizenship to vote

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government’s first move after this week’s referendum will likely be legislation requiring people to show proof of citizenship to vote, ahead of the province’s next election in October 2027.

Smith made the comments in an interview published Saturday by CBC News. She said Albertans showed more appetite for the immigration questions on the ballot than for the constitutional ones, and that the government will prioritize those.

“I think people need to be prepared that that is very likely going to be the first thing that we act on with enabling legislation,” Smith said of the citizenship requirement. She pointed to the citizenship marker now available on Alberta driver’s licences as a way to let voters meet the rule with a single piece of identification.

On constitutional change, Smith said she sees little public appetite to pursue it, citing voter fatigue after earlier unsuccessful efforts. She said measures such as waiting periods for temporary workers and fees for access to some programs will take more time to work out.

Smith also said the question of separatism is settled inside her United Conservative Party. She said Albertans’ message, with 75 per cent saying they are proud Canadians who want to stay in Canada, means anyone who wants to run as a UCP candidate or sit on the party’s provincial board must align with it.

“If you don’t want to agree to follow the will of the people, you don’t have to be a candidate for us,” she said. Smith said people who disagree can still take part through advocacy groups or other political parties.

Some prominent separatists inside the party have argued they helped oust former premier Jason Kenney and put Smith in as leader, CBC reported. Smith said she doesn’t need the support of those who want Alberta to leave Canada.

The premier also said one MLA who made headlines over a referendum vote has decided not to run again, a decision she said he reached after reflecting on it over the past week or so.

The referendum results have set off a political fight in the province. Canada News Media has reported on Guthrie’s claim that Smith can’t survive the fallout, on how First Nations leaders called the vote decisive, and on the early results showing Albertans voted to stay in Canada. The province also said it won’t drop its appeal of a quashed separation petition.

Source: CBC News interview with Premier Danielle Smith, Oct. 24, 2026.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.