CTV News is your Alberta Referendum headquarters. Live results. Expert analysis. Everything you need to know is here. Premier Danielle Smith asked Albertans to vote ‘Yes’ to the nine referendum questions on immigration and the constitution, and most of those questions received more than 50 per cent support, in the unofficial results. She also told Albertans to vote Option 1 on the 10th question, that would have Alberta remain in Canada. A resounding majority of Albertans — nearly 1.5 million — did vote to remain Canadian, however, nearly half a million Albertans voted for Option 2, to start the process of having another vote on separation. A day after falling well short of a win, separatist leaders are mulling whether to try to fire the premier. “We’re going to be moving forward to discuss whether or not Premier Smith should remain as premier or leader of the UCP, given the degree to which that she’s betrayed the base that elected her,” said Jeffrey Rath, of the Alberta Prosperity Project, in an interview with CTV Edmonton’s Your Morning. “Her leadership is in question,” said Rath. “I think that an overwhelming majority of the UCP favoured independence and came out to vote for independence.” Rath has said he knows of three UCP constituency associations looking to hold a leadership review of Smith, but a quarter (22) of Alberta’s 87 constituency associations need to agree, for a special general meeting to be called, for a leadership vote to be cast. “In order to clear the air and to move forward into the election of 2027, there needs to be a new leader of the United Conservative Party,” said Rath. In late May 2026, CTV News surveyed all 87 constituencies and found broad support for Smith. Pressure relief? But with Smith seeing many Albertans vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum, and 75 per cent voting to remain in Canada, it could relieve some of the pressure the process put on her and the UCP government. “These nine questions, both as phrased and as deliberately, campaigned on as they were, do not provide a mandate for much of anything except to give Danielle Smith a bit of breathing space with respect to that internal faction management (within the UCP),” said University of Calgary political scientist Melanee Thomas. “The party convention and the potential for a special leadership review is something to keep an eye on.” Dave Prisco, director of communications for the United Conservative Party, told CTV News Friday that nearly 50 constituency associations have passed motions supporting Smith’s leadership, also highlighting her 91 per cent approval rating during the last leadership review. The UCP AGM is set for Nov. 27-29 in Calgary. “Politically, I think she can go back and say that she’s got what she wanted,” said Brendan Boyd, a political scientist at MacEwan University. “And so, the big question is going to be, what happens next? The next is that she’s got a gauntlet to run over the next sort of year or so.” Snap election? In October 2027, a general election is set to be held. Political experts believe the referendum results would possibly dampen any speculation that a snap election would be called. “Her leadership will be a talking point within the party. Up until that point, I don’t think it’s going to go away and as you get closer to the general election, they’re (the UCP) going to have to rally around someone, and so maybe that will be her,” said Boyd. Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi called for Albertans to vote No to the nine questions, which he said has stoked fires of racism on immigration. “If she is going to claim a massive mandate on numbers like that, then she’s got another thing coming,” said Nenshi. “Because in fact, if she wanted a mandate, she should have been able to get 85 per cent on questions like this.” But with questions surrounding Smith’s leadership, some believe Nenshi has questions to answer to as well, after failing to secure more ‘No’ votes on the nine referendum questions. “I’m looking at both, Ms. Smith and Mr. Nenshi and thinking, as far as leaders go, there was a full scale, abandonment of duty to the public on these and the more we have to talk about these nine questions, the more I’m going to keep coming back to that,” said Thomas. “Frankly, if something is existential enough to make all of us vote on this, they had a responsibility to talk in very clear terms. “Everybody,” she added. “About what they were asking us to do, and none of them did.” As for Nenshi, he is willing to put his leadership to the test. “I’m ready for an election tomorrow,” said Nenshi. “The last five polls in a row show we win a huge majority, and I’m happy to take that on.”
