CTV News is your Alberta Referendum headquarters. Live results. Expert analysis. Everything you need to know is here. CTV News is projecting Albertans have voted to remain in Canada in the province’s historic referendum on Monday night. Preliminary figures from Elections Alberta shows more than 1.2 million votes of 1.6 million votes cast were in favour of the province remaining in Canada, a culmination of a year-long campaign from pro-federalist and separatist groups. Those votes are part of what’s estimated to be a record-breaking turnout as voters lined up to cast their ballots on the questions that will shape how the United Conservative government guides future policies. Questions 1 through 9 of the referendum polled Albertans with five questions on immigration and four seeking a mandate to work with other provinces to change the Constitution and wrest more power from Ottawa. The Alberta government has suggested a yes-vote to each of those questions would improve the province’s status in Canada. Question 10, meanwhile, asked voters whether the province should remain a part of Canada or if the province should hold a second, legally binding, referendum on whether Alberta should leave Confederation. None of the questions on Monday’s ballot are legally binding. Results for all 10 questions will continue rolling in throughout the night. The final count of the votes for Question 10 will be announced at 4 a.m. M.T. READ MORE: Albertans reject separation in historic vote, CTV News projects. Live updates. Over 2.2 million valid votes cast: Elections Alberta It was a steady stream of people casting ballots on referendum day on the questions that could lead to a decision on the province’s future within Canada. Though while some polling stations saw lineups on Monday, it was nothing compared to the crowds during advance voting. More than 1.35 million Albertans had already voted before polling stations opened Monday morning. According to preliminary Elections Alberta figures, approximately 838,000 people cast ballots during advance voting, while another 519,000 voted by special ballot. Together, those votes represent 43.1 per cent of eligible voters. An update from the agency after polls closed said more than 2.2 million valid votes were cast in the referendum. During the 2023 provincial general election, approximately 27.5 per cent of eligible voters had cast ballots through advance voting and special ballots. Results trickling in for Questions 1-9 While Elections Alberta is unofficially reporting a landslide of support for remaining in Canada, results for the first nine questions on the ballot trickled in more slowly after the polls closed. Voters were largely split in early returns on Questions 1 through 9 in early morning hours on Tuesday, but as of 3:22 a.m., the “yes” vote was leading on all questions but one. That standout is Question 8, which asks whether the Alberta government should join forces with other provinces to amend the Constitution to allow provincial governments to opt out of certain federal programs. Official results on the nine question are expected to come in over the coming days. ‘No cracks in Canada’ Thomas Lukaszuk, the former deputy Alberta premier who spearheaded the Forever Canadian petition last summer, said he was “just elated” as the vote was called in his group’s favour. “It’s a very strong message,” he told CTV News from his group’s results party in Edmonton. “We’re proud to be Canadian, and we want nothing to do with separatism.” Even more important, Lukaszuk said, was the message the result sent south of the border. “I can bet you right now, (U.S. President) Donald Trump is paying attention to the outcome of this vote, because if it was any stronger for separatists, he would see us as a place that he can be predatorial with.” Instead, the vote shows there are “no cracks in Canada.” “We’re united and no one can take advantage of us, and that’s so important in these turbulent times.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said she voted to remain in Canada, thanked Albertans for coming out to the polls on social media late Monday, saying she was “very pleased” to see the results showing support to remain in Canada. “Thank you to all Albertans who took time to vote on these critically important referendum questions,” Smith wrote. “Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada.” Prime Minister Mark Carney, who visited Alberta last week to rally voters to cast their ballots to remain in Canada, said the results allow Albertans and all Canadians to “move forward with a renewed purpose and high ambition.” “Now it is our opportunity to take all that we have been given as Canadians — and we have been given the greatest country in the world — and make our country better for all of us,” he wrote on social media. Earlier in the day, the mayors of Alberta’s two biggest cities joined voters at their polling stations — each of whom said they cast a ballot for the pro-Canada camp. “This is a really big day for Calgary, for Alberta, for our country,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said at his polling station. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack added he voted no to the first nine questions. Meanwhile, Jason Stephan, the MLA for Red Deer-South who publicly stated he voted in favour of a second, binding referendum on Alberta separating from Canada, announced Monday night he wouldn’t seek re-election in the 2027 provincial election. Separatists react Some separatists clung onto hope late Monday that their camp would see more votes cast in their favour as results came in. Mitch Sylvestre told CTV News said in Edmonton there were still “lots of polls left to go” after the call was made for Question 10. But Sylvestre added he and the Alberta Prosperity Project wasn’t finished campaigning for independence. READ MORE: Separation has existed since before Alberta was Alberta “We’re not done yet,” Sylvestre said. Though he doesn’t know what’s next for his group, he said a possible plan B could be “do it the way Quebec’s doing it” and “get involved with our party.” Jeff Rath, who is a lawyer for the APP, agrees that the group is not finished advocating for secession. “I don’t consider it to be a defeat,” Rath said. “We’ve created a movement that’s not going anywhere.” Questions raised about Smith’s future The separation debate has raised questions for what the future looks like for Smith and her governing United Conservative Party. An Abacus Data poll conducted last week has shown adding Question 10 to the ballot has divided UCP voters, with 44 per cent of respondents saying the referendum should not take place. READ MORE: Majority of respondents to Alberta referendum poll say vote should not be held Smith’s party didn’t campaign on holding a separation vote when it won the last provincial election in 2023, but some Albertan’s long-simmering resentment with the federal government under Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau boiled over. That frustration prompted hundreds of thousands of people to sign petitions both for and against Confederation — something Smith said effectively forced her hand to add the separation question to the ballot. In the months leading up to Monday’s historic vote, Smith has said she supports a “sovereign Alberta in a united Canada” and would vote as a federalist. But one of Smith’s chief critics says by “forcing” the referendum, the premier committed one of the biggest political blunders of the year and has become the “least trusted” and “least liked” politician in Alberta. “The UCP is in free-fall,” NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi told reporters at a results party in Calgary. Earlier in the day, Nenshi said his battle will be to “get into the hearts and minds of Albertans” — especially disenfranchised UCP voters — should the federalist side win. Meanwhile in the separatist camp, Rath said he wanted to a review of Smith’s leadership after her “betrayal of her base and betrayal of Albertans” by saying she would vote to remain in Canada. READ MORE: Alberta separatists want to trigger UCP leadership review “She was elected as a leader that was in favour of Alberta independence and Alberta sovereignty. The minute she got elected, she did a bait and switch,” he said. “I think the message to Danielle Smith is that she can’t continue to govern and be the leader of the UCP.” Separation debate unlikely to end with referendum While the referendum will provide a measure of public opinion on Alberta’s future within Canada, Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt believes the separation debate will continue regardless of the outcome. “We’ve always had a separation movement, and now they’ve been legitimized by having a referendum; now they’re organized,” Bratt said. “Now they’re networked. Now they’ve got a fundraising channel, and they have said they’re not going to end this. They’re not going to quit.”
