Braid: Special ballots now landing smack of planned confusion

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsNationalPoliticsOpinionColumnists Braid: Special ballots now landing smack of planned confusion We are being led by the nose into a vote that only separatists ever wanted. The final tab will be up to $130 million Author of the article: By Don Braid  •  Calgary Herald Published Sep 22, 2026 3 minute read Join the conversation Part of the mail-in ballot package sent to voters by Elections Alberta ahead of the referendum on Oct. 19, 2026. Don Braid/Postmedia Article content After finally laying my hands on a referendum special ballot, the package reminded me of something in the distant past. Article content It was the scandal over my Tom Corbett Space Cadet Ray Gun. Article content Article content To get that prized item, there were forms to fill out, tokens to include in the envelope, cereal boxes to cut up, Tom Corbett loyalty to declare. Article content I was one excited eight-year-old. Article content When the ray gun arrived at last, it shot baking powder an intergalactic distance of three inches. Article content Article content That was my first shattering experience of being duped. Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content The ballot is somewhat similar. There’s an element of built-in confusion and deflection about this bizarre process. Article content The mail-in ballot pack comes with envelopes to identify and use correctly; a pack of quite small question sheets stuck together in a Post-it stack; a page of diagrams that leave a big question unanswered; and nine vote sheets to mark before you get to the key one — separatism, question 10. Article content The result could be a complicated fizzle, like that dismal baking powder blast. Article content Article content My worry is that literally millions of voters could be discouraged by this mail-in ballot, or the identical one they’ll see at polling stations for in-person voting. Article content Voters may not find their way to the very end, page 10 of the questions, where it’s essential for federalists to mark their X beside, yes, “Alberta should remain a province of Canada.” Article content I have no doubt,…