The unofficial vote count from Monday’s Alberta referendum in Lloydminster shows support to remove the Federal Equalization payments and to stop changing the clocks twice yearly.
On the Equalization question, it was asked, ‘Should Parliament and the government of Canada’s commitment to the principle of making equalization payments – be removed from the constitution?’
1,813 (85.4%) of the votes were in the affirmative for the removal with 310 (14.6%) voting to keep the equalization commitment.
On time change, the referendum question asked, ‘Should Alberta adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?’
The ‘Yes’ count was 1,709 votes or 79.8% with 433 or 20.2% voting against.
Unofficial Senate vote
The unofficial Senate election results had voters picking a maximum of three persons from a field of 13 contenders.
Lloydminster’s top three picks were Pam Davidson with 1,205 votes, Erika Barootes got 1,102 votes and Mykhailo Martyniouk got 809 votes.
The other hopefuls were Ann McCormick with 388 votes, Kelly Lorencz – 315, Doug A. Horner – 288, Nadine R. Wellwood – 261, Karina Pillay – 146, Jeff Nielsen – 116, Duncan Kinney – 114, Rick Bonnett – 106, Sunil Sookram – 96 and Chad Jett Thunders Saunders – 64.
The official results are expected no sooner than Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 11 a.m. Results will be posted at the Elections Alberta website.