Alberta referendum: 75% back staying in Canada as other questions flip to 'no'
Vote counting on nine additional referendum questions dragged on for days after Monday's separation vote, with several constitutional proposals losing ground as more ballots were tallied.
Why it matters
The referendum results will shape how aggressively Alberta pursues immigration controls and constitutional changes in negotiations with Ottawa.
Alberta's historic referendum saw roughly 75 per cent of voters reject separation, keeping the province in Canada. Counting on the nine other questions, covering immigration, judicial selection, the Senate and constitutional reform, took much longer to finish.
Early returns had shown support for proposals letting Alberta pick its own judges, abolish the Senate and amend the Constitution to expand provincial powers, but the "no" side pulled ahead on several of these as more votes were counted through Thursday. Questions on immigration control continued to show the "yes" side leading, though by tight margins.
Premier Danielle Smith claimed victory on the immigration questions before the final count was complete, saying she expected clear direction to proceed but would move cautiously given the narrow results, with Calgary and Edmonton ridings largely voting "no." Smith said she had spoken with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was open to more federal-provincial collaboration on immigration, and that she is preparing a proposal for Ottawa.
Smith also said the weaker support for constitutional changes suggested those issues matter less to Albertans, who she said would rather see the government focus on measures that produce more immediate, meaningful change.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.