EDMONTON, Alberta - Voters across Canada's oil-rich Alberta province delivered a strong endorsement for staying part of Canada, as preliminary referendum results on Tuesday provided a lift to Prime Minister Mark Carney's national unity efforts during trade tensions and annexation remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.

More than 1 million ballots counted showed 77 percent favoring continued membership in Canada, while 23 percent supported initiating a separation process, based on unofficial tallies released by Elections Alberta.

The ballot question did not ask directly about breaking away. A yes vote would have started a sequence leading to a later referendum on leaving Canada.

"Albertans made a clear choice," Carney said. "They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other. Above all, Albertans chose Canada."

Carney noted the outcome would let Canadians advance together, speeding up work to broaden trade options, launch major infrastructure initiatives and position Canada as a leading global energy supplier, with Alberta playing a central role.

Alberta's separatist voices still found reasons for optimism despite the outcome.

"We don't have the final results. I think the numbers are going to fluctuate, but it is fair to say that at least a quarter of Albertans feel that Alberta needs to be treated better," said Keith Wilson, a leader of the separatist movement.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith welcomed the early numbers, noting they reflected broad backing for remaining in Canada.

"Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada," Smith posted on social media.

Smith, who organized the referendum under pressure from separatists inside her governing United Conservative Party, or UCP, even though she opposes independence, said she would speak to the province Tuesday evening about the results and the path ahead.

"We are a solid country that's united from coast to coast to coast," Thomas Lukaszuk, a former Alberta deputy premier who led the Forever Canadian campaign against separation, told supporters.

Results faced delays after late openings required more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours on Monday.

Alberta, home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, is cowboy country and a conservative stronghold whose political culture has long shared more traits with the American West than much of Canada. Resentment toward Canada's federal government in Ottawa runs deep, but has not usually led to broad support for independence.

Even with the proposal's apparent defeat, separatist leaders said they had transformed a marginal issue into a lasting movement.

Carney had earlier called on Albertans to cast a decisive vote for unity.

"Vote like Canada's future depends on it, because it does," he told a rally on Friday in Edmonton, where he grew up.

Separatist parties have traditionally drawn only 1 or 2 percent of the vote, former Premier Jason Kenney said. Anger over COVID-19 restrictions helped activate organizers who later joined the separatist cause, he said.

Trump's trade war and comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state have aided Carney in building support in Alberta, where Liberal prime ministers have long faced resistance.

Separatist advocate Jeff Rath said he would be pleased if 30 percent of Albertans voted to start the separation process. He wants Smith removed as UCP leader and suggested the party could split, possibly forming a new pro-independence group.

Dustin Degenhardt, a Wainwright voter, said Albertans have long felt mistreated by Canada's federal government.

"Alberta has essentially been treated as, you know, a colony," he said after voting Monday. "They want to take and take and take from us, and not return anything."

Taylor MacIsaac, another Wainwright voter, supported separation.

"I think it'll be good for Alberta to separate personally, as a very conservative individual that grew up in rural Alberta," she said.

Dave Malka, 59, of Edmonton, criticized spending funds on a "referendum on a referendum" instead of healthcare.

With Trump threatening Canada, Malka said, "It seems to be happening at the absolute worst time when we should be united; instead we're fighting among ourselves."

Jake Graham, 35, of Calgary, attended a Carney rally wearing maple leaf pants and a Canada hockey jacket. He hopes the vote settles the issue.

"I hope this squashes this for a long time to come and that it's clear and decisive, that these grumblings disappear for a while and we can be a united Canada," he said.

Ty ONeil contributed to this report from Wainwright.