Recall Petition Received, Verified, and Results Announced
January 21, 2026
EDMONTON – The signature period for the petition to recall the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Electoral Division 3 – Calgary-Bow, the Honourable Demetrios Nicolaides, has ended. Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer, Gordon McClure, has received the petition from the proponent.
Elections Alberta has completed petition verification, using the method as prescribed in the Act to achieve a 95% confidence level in the results. After conducting the first stage of the verification process, the preliminary count, it was confirmed there were insufficient signatures to meet the required threshold, and the verification count ended. (See background information below for more information about the recall petition verification process).
| Results: Recall petition unsuccessful | |
|---|---|
| Total number of votes cast in electoral division in the most recent election (2023 Provincial General Election) |
26,676 |
| Total number of signatures required for a successful petition (60% of votes cast in the electoral division in most recent election) |
16,006 |
| Total number of preliminary signatures counted (Recall Act s.8(2)) |
6,519 |
| Total number of valid signatures counted (Recall Act s.8(2)) |
n/a |
| Total number of verified signatures after random statistical sampling method applied with a 95% confidence level (Recall Act s.8(2)) |
n/a |
As required by the Recall Act s.9, the applicant, the MLA, the leader of the registered party to which the member named belongs, and the Speaker of the Legislation Assembly have received written notice reporting the results.
Next steps
Within two days (by January 23, 2026) of the publication of the recall petition results, the applicant must:
- Return all copies of the recall petition and all canvasser identification documents to Elections Alberta;
- Destroy all copies of signature sheets, including blank copies, made by the applicant, their team, or registered canvassers, and
- Submit a signed affidavit to Election Alberta confirming the petition and all signature sheets have been returned and all copies destroyed as directed.
Within 30 days, by February 19, 2026:
- Each authorized participant’s chief financial officer must submit a recall petition expense limit report consisting of a financial statement, a contribution report, an expense report, and supporting information and documents. The report is required even if the petition has been withdrawn or terminated.
- The report is due within 30 days after the petition submission date or within 30 days after the petition canvassing period expires, whichever is earlier. Failure to meet a filing deadline will result in an automatic late filing fee of $500.
Recall Petition Background Information:
Once a recall petition is returned by the applicant on or before the end of the canvassing period, Elections Alberta must complete petition verification within 21 days. The recall petition verification process includes:
- Preliminary signature count on petition signature sheets submitted.
- Confirmation that only the petition signature sheets as provided to the applicant were used in the collection of signatures;
- Confirmation that only original signatures have been collected;
- A review of each signature to ensure the required information was provided (full name, physical address, contact information, date, signature).
- Confirmation that each signature on the petition was witnessed by a registered canvasser;
- A random sample to confirm the signatories’ addresses are in the electoral district; and,
- Contacting a random sample of signatories to confirm they signed the petition.
Please note: If it becomes clear during any part of the verification the count will not meet the 60% threshold, no further verification is done, the process ends, and results are reported.
If the petition is successful, the Lieutenant Governor in Council will order a recall vote to be conducted within four months of the date on which the successful petition results are published.
The application from proponent Jennifer Yeremiy to recall the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Electoral Division 3 – Calgary-Bow, the Honourable Demetrios Nicolaides, was approved and the petition was issued on October 23, 2025. For more information, please see: https://www.elections.ab.ca/new-recall-petition-issued/.
More information on the recall petition process, including what happens next if a petition is successful, the status of recall petitions, proponent financing rules, and answers to frequently asked questions may be found on Election Alberta’s website.
Elections Alberta is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections, and referendums.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Robyn Bell
Media Relations
Phone: 403-589-7233
Email: media@elections.ab.ca
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