Canada’s House of Commons has confirmed that a referendum on Alberta’s independence—aimed at becoming the 51st state of the United States—does not require a 60% or 66% majority; it simply needs to clear the 50% threshold.
According to the AP, Alberta separatists declared on Monday that they have formally submitted nearly 302,000 signatures in an attempt to trigger a referendum on the province's independence from the rest of Canada—a nation that, in their view, has evolved into a radical leftist state that denies freedoms to its citizens.
The group required 178,000 signatures to compel the provincial government to consider holding such a vote.
The question of separation could appear on a provincial ballot as early as October, following a pledge by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to advance the initiative should a sufficient number of signatures be gathered and verified. Smith has noted that, personally, she does not support this oil-rich province separating from the rest of Canada.