Alberta Vote Nears as Separatists Claim 301,000 Signatures

Alberta, the major oil-producing province of Canada, is one step closer to a referendum on independence after leaders of a separatist group said they’ve gathered more than enough signatures to force a vote.

The group, Stay Free Alberta, had until May 2 to collect roughly 178,000 signatures on their petition for a provincewide vote. On Monday, organizers said they’ve collected more than 301,000 signatures to submit to Elections Alberta, the independent elections agency.