Overview
- Voters in Alberta are deciding in a provincial referendum whether to remain part of Canada or to start a process that could lead to a legally binding secession vote.
- Recent polls reported before the vote showed roughly 70 percent of residents favored staying in Canada while about 20 percent supported moving toward separation.
- Premier Danielle Smith set the referendum despite publicly opposing secession, and advance voting and mail ballots were available ahead of the main vote.
- Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney and the country’s major parties have opposed secession, and legal experts say any provincial move would require federal negotiation and likely court review.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly backed the separatist cause, a development that has internationalized the dispute and could affect trade and diplomatic ties if the process continues.