Elections Alberta set to begin verifying signatures on separatist referendum petition

Elections Alberta set to begin verifying signatures on separatist referendum petition

Stay Free Alberta has said almost 302,000 signatures were collected

Elections Alberta says it's set to begin verifying the signatures on a petition looking to force a vote on the province separating from Canada.

The petition was submitted in early May, but just two weeks later a judge quashed it after ruling the petition was out of line with provincial law and that First Nations needed to be consulted.

But last week the group behind the petition earned a partial win in court when another judge ruled the signature verification process should take place while the original ruling is appealed.

Elections Alberta says the boxes of petition sheets have been stored in locked cabinets and monitored by security guards. It added that it expects to publish the results by July 27.

The petition group, Stay Free Alberta, has said almost 302,000 signatures were collected, far more than the nearly 178,000 needed to force the province to take action.

Premier Danielle Smith has called a referendum for Oct. 19, when Albertans will be asked a number of questions, including if they want to remain in Canada or start the process of having a second, binding vote on separation.

Smith has said that since the appeal process is expected to take months, if not longer, it's not possible to have a binding vote on separation this fall.