Albertans vote on whether to begin separation referendum process

Albertans voted Monday on whether to begin legal steps toward a binding referendum on separating from Canada, a process polls suggest most will reject.

• Albertans voted Monday on whether to authorize legal steps toward a binding referendum on separation, which Smith said could occur as early as 2027.
• More than 1.35 million Albertans, about 43 percent of eligible voters, cast ballots early or by post before the vote.
• Prime Minister Mark Carney urged a decisive vote against separation, saying outside forces "are working to break us so they can own us."
• First Nations groups called Smith's decision to hold the vote undemocratic after a court blocked the original petition for failing to consult them.