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Preliminary results from Elections Alberta showed that 76 percent of voters chose to remain part of Canada while 24 percent supported starting the legal process for a future binding referendum on separation, with nearly half the ballots counted by early Tuesday. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who grew up in Edmonton, hailed the outcome as a clear choice by Albertans for unity amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States. The non-binding plebiscite, which featured nine other questions on issues including immigration and constitutional changes, drew heavy advance voting with more than 1.3 million ballots cast prior to election day according to the provincial elections body.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith posted on social media that she was pleased with the initial results from Elections Alberta and that Albertans had voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada. A CBC News projection confirmed the decisive win for the federalist side after results were delayed at some polling stations due to high turnout and extended hours. The vote marked the first such public ballot on separation outside Quebec since the 1995 referendum, where voters there rejected independence by a narrow margin, according to multiple Canadian news organizations including The Globe and Mail.
Separatist leaders expressed disappointment with the outcome but indicated their campaign would continue despite the projected results. Jeffrey Rath, a Calgary lawyer and key figure with the Alberta Prosperity Project, told reporters that the movement had created a massive following and planned to press forward after what he called a first step offering valuable lessons. Another organizer, Mitch Sylvestre, responded to inquiries from the BBC by saying simply “Not happy” while Keith Wilson, co-leader of Let Alberta Decide, noted in remarks carried by The Guardian that at least a quarter of Albertans feel the province needs better treatment.
Public opinion polls conducted in the weeks before the vote by firms including Leger, Ipsos and Angus Reid had consistently projected strong support for remaining in Canada at between 65 and 74 percent. The campaign for the referendum gained momentum last year after roughly 300,000 people signed petitions calling for a vote on independence, Al Jazeera reported, driven largely by economic grievances over federal energy policies and fiscal arrangements. CNN noted that the effort had raised concerns about possible foreign interference following a Globe and Mail investigation into Republican operatives assisting some separatist figures.
The result provides a boost to Carney as he navigates challenges including U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade measures and annexation rhetoric, according to an Associated Press dispatch from Edmonton. Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Alberta politician who founded the pro-unity Forever Canadian group, told supporters at a watch party that the vote sent a strong message that Canada is not up for grabs and that the country remains united from coast to coast. AFP reporting from a separatist gathering in Edmonton described a somber atmosphere as early returns showed the remain option pulling ahead decisively.
Elections Alberta indicated that full official results would not be certified until October 29, though trends were clear with 83 percent of voting areas reporting in preliminary tallies. Bloomberg analysis placed the outcome as a significant setback for fringe but vocal groups that had hoped to build on regional discontent in the oil-producing province, which holds vast energy resources but has long chafed at certain federal oversight. Separatist organizers have already signaled plans to influence the United Conservative Party leadership review next month, where polls show more than half its members back some form of independence push, according to GZERO Media.
