Alberta Votes Against Independence Referendum, Over 76% Choose To Remain In Canada

Ottawa: Alberta residents have voted against a proposal to hold a binding referendum on whether to initiate the process of separating the province from Canada, according to public broadcaster CBC News. Results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours on Monday. More than 1.35 million Albertans, or 43 per cent of eligible voters, cast advance or special ballots.

Janis Irwin, NDP member of the legislative assembly for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood, left, cheers with Deputy Leader of Alberta’s NDP Rakhi Pancholi, right, as results arrive at the pro Canada watch party in Edmonton, Alberta Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

According to reports, in the preliminary results, over 76 per cent of people voted to remain in Canada, while the rest voted to hold an independence referendum. The vote was not a direct referendum on independence. Albertans were deciding whether to remain in Canada or begin a legal process that could lead to a second vote on separation.

Alberta, home to the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves, is cowboy country and a conservative stronghold whose political culture has long had more in common with the American West than much of Canada. Resentment toward Ottawa runs deep but has not traditionally translated into widespread support for independence.

Dustin Degenhardt, a Wainwright voter, said Albertans have long been mistreated by Ottawa.

“Alberta has essentially been treated as, you know, a colony,” he said after voting on Monday, as quoted by The Associated Press. “They want to take and take and take from us and not return anything.”

Separatist leaders believed that they had turned a fringe cause into a movement that will not disappear. Canada Pro=ime Minister Mark Carney earlier urged Albertans to deliver a decisive vote for unity. “Vote like Canada’s future depends on it because it does,” he told a rally Friday in Edmonton, where he grew up.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum amid pressure from separatists within her governing United Conservative Party, even though she opposes independence. She cited a poll showing just 22% support for separation, a figure she said was still too high.

Separatist parties traditionally attracted only 1% or 2% of the vote, former Premier Jason Kenney said. Anger over COVID-19 restrictions helped mobilize activists who later embraced the separatist movement, he said.

Trump’s trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have helped Carney rally support in Alberta, where Liberal prime ministers have historically been unpopular.

Sumit Sharma is a Deputy News Editor at Times Now with around a decade of … Sumit Sharma is a Deputy News Editor at Times Now with around a decade of experience across print, electronic, and digital media. Previously, he worked with reputed news organisations, including Punjab Kesari, NewsX, and The Free Press Journal. He focuses on breaking down politics and major global issues, making complicated policies and world events easy to understand for online audiences. View MoreView Less