Alberta votes to remain in Canada: 76% reject separation referendum in record-turnout vote

Alberta has voted decisively to remain in Canada. With more than 2.2 million ballots counted on Question 10, roughly 76 per cent of Albertans chose to stay a province of Canada, rejecting a path toward a binding separation referendum by about 24 per cent. CBC and CTV News called the result for the remain side early Tuesday morning.

Question 10 – Option	Share of vote
Alberta remains a province of Canada	~76%
Begin process toward a binding separation referendum	~24%

These figures are unofficial. Elections Alberta says official results will be announced October 29, 2026.

A record night

The vote was historic in scale as well as consequence: more than 1.3 million Albertans – about 43 per cent of eligible voters – cast ballots in advance or by mail before Election Day, and total valid votes on the separation question passed 2.2 million overnight, shattering the province’s turnout records.

“Above all, Albertans chose Canada”

Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a statement shortly after midnight, said Albertans had made a “clear choice” – and framed the result as a launchpad rather than a conclusion: Canada could now move forward “with renewed purpose and high ambition,” he said, “unleashing our full potential as a global energy superpower with Alberta at its core.”

Premier Danielle Smith, who advocated for remain while championing the other nine questions, said she was “very pleased” initial results showed “widespread support for remaining in Canada” – “Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada.” She will address Albertans Tuesday evening on “where our province goes from here.” Forever Canadian founder Thomas Lukaszuk, whose 400,000-signature petition forced Question 10 onto the ballot, celebrated the margin – while warning against complacency.

What the other nine questions say

The separation question settled, the ballot’s other items – immigration and constitutional policy – delivered a more divided message. Partial counts showed yes votes leading on most of the nine, with solid majorities on several immigration-related questions and near-even splits on others, including whether Alberta should pursue constitutional amendments. Broadcasters held off projecting those results as counting continued.

What happens now

A remain vote of this size effectively forecloses the separation process: Question 10’s second option would have directed the government to begin the constitutional path toward a binding referendum – a door now firmly closed. The aftermath shifts to two fronts: whether Ottawa converts goodwill into concrete Alberta wins (pipelines, energy projects), and what the ~24 per cent – and the yes votes on the grievance questions – demand of both governments. Premier Smith’s Tuesday address will signal her government’s next move.

Our full referendum coverage: how the night worked – the final-week blitz – what was on the ballot – Politics.

Sources: Elections Alberta unofficial results and Elections Alberta’s results timetable.