Elections Alberta verifies signatures for petition calling for independence referendum
Elections Alberta has verified over 220,000 signatures for a petition calling for an independence referendum, though further action is currently stayed pending a Court of Appeal decision. The process remains legally complex due to previous court rulings regarding the petition's validity.
Why it matters
The petition represents a significant political movement in Alberta, and its legal status has major implications for provincial-federal relations in Canada.
But the future of the petition remains on hold, Elections Alberta said in a news release issued Friday afternoon.
The verification process was conducted between July 6 and July 23, and has now been completed, the non-partisan office said.
Gordon McClure, the province's chief electoral officer, determined that while requirements have been met, any further steps in the citizen initiative process are stayed pending direction from the Court of Appeal of Alberta.
Stay Free Alberta, the group behind the petition, previously said almost 302,000 signatures had been collected, far more than the nearly 178,000 needed under provincial legislation.
Elections Alberta said the total number of valid signatures counted was 279,337, and using random statistical sampling, the office said it found 222,597 verified signatures.
Elections Alberta verifies pro-separation petition signatures
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