Elections Alberta says the number of mail-in ballots requested for next month’s referendum has surpassed 610,000.

The new total is an increase of about 90,000 since Friday and continues the trend of growing interest in voting by mail for the Oct. 19 referendum.

Albertans have until Friday at midnight to apply for a special mail-in ballot.

Elections Alberta says the ballots need to be returned by Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. in order to be counted.

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The agency is expecting a record voter turnout for the referendum, which will see Albertans decide whether they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on separating from the country.

The vote is a massive undertaking for Elections Alberta. It says it has hired more than 28,000 people and received almost 52,000 applications.

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