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Alberta voters have overwhelmingly rejected a push to start the process of leaving Canada, with about 76% choosing to remain in the first separation vote the province has ever held.

Getting into it: Elections Alberta’s preliminary count, nearing 1.9 million ballots, had the remain side at roughly 76% and the separation option at 24%. A separation win would only have kicked off the legal steps toward a second vote on secession.

Albertans answered 10 questions in all on Monday, with the rest covering immigration, education, health care and the province’s constitutional powers. On the constitutional powers question, the “yes” side is narrowly leading. Premier Danielle Smith, a conservative who rose to power with the help of separatists in her party, added the separation question after a court shut down the separatists’ petition drive to force a vote, a move that angered both sides. She has said she voted to remain.

Much of the separatist push has been fueled by anger over federal environmental policies under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that many Albertans saw as an attack on the oil industry, along with lingering frustration from COVID-era protests. The movement also drew interest from President Donald Trump’s allies, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling Alberta Washington’s “natural partner” and Elon Musk posting that it “should separate.” Separatist leaders also made three trips to Washington last year to court the administration.

After it became clear Alberta would not move toward separation, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “Albertans made a clear choice. They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other. Above all, Albertans chose Canada.”

Separatist leader Keith Wilson said the result shows “at least a quarter of Albertans feel that Alberta needs to be treated better,” while Jeffrey Rath of the Alberta Prosperity Project said the push will “absolutely” continue and called for separatists to oust Smith as party leader.