Alberta voters reject move toward separation from Canada in referendum

October 20, 2026 / 2:11 AM EDT / AP

Voters in Canada's oil-rich province of Alberta have rejected a proposal to begin a process toward independence, results showed early Tuesday, delivering a victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney and supporters of Canadian unity amid President Trump's trade war and annexation threats.

The vote was not a direct referendum on independence but would have set oil-rich Alberta on a path toward a future vote on separation from Canada.

With more than 1 million votes counted, about 76% supported remaining in Canada, compared with 23% who backed beginning a process that could lead to separation.

"We are a solid country that's united from coast to coast to coast," Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Alberta deputy premier who led the Forever Canadian campaign against separation, told supporters.

Results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours Monday. More than 1.35 million Albertans, or 43% of eligible voters, cast advance or special ballots. Albertans were deciding whether to remain in Canada or begin a legal process that could have lead to a second vote on separation.

Alberta, home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, is cowboy country…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/