How to Register a Party

Bill 54: Election Statutes Amendment Act impacts all provincial electoral legislation. This page is being updated to reflect the new legislation, and as such the information below may be outdated.

The registration of new political parties in Alberta is governed under sections 6 and 7 of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA). This process requires reserving a party name and fulfilling qualifications before applying for registration as a party.

Reserving a Proposed Party Name

1. Consult Elections Alberta’s list of Registered Political Parties and Reserved Party Names,  Edmonton Elections’ list of Registered Local Political Parties, and Elections Calgary’s list of Registered Local Political Parties to ensure your proposed party name and/or abbreviation are not in use. Also make sure there is no society, company or corporation using the name you propose.
2. Submit a request to Elections Alberta, by completing form PA-RES-01 Reserve a Party Name with:
   • Your proposed party name and abbreviation,
   • Your name, email address, physical address, and telephone number,
   • If you are applying on behalf of a group or organization, an up-to-date list of key members or principal officers, and
   • Your reason for applying.
3. We will notify you in writing if your request is approved or declined
   • If approved, your proposed party name and abbreviation will be reserved for 6 months from the date of approval to allow you to fulfill the qualifications listed below.
4. You may request a 3-month extension (use form PA-RES-01)
   • Your extension request must be submitted between 7-30 days before expiry (no exceptions), outlining the progress made and reason for needing an extension, and
   • If approved, your reservation period will be extended another 3 months.
5. You may request a second 3-month extension (use form PA-RES-01)
   • Your second extension request must be submitted 7-30 days before expiry (no exceptions), outlining the progress made and reason for needing an extension, and
   • If approved, your reservation period will be extended another 3 months, for a total of 12 months from your initial reservation effective date.
6. After one year, if you need more time, you may again submit form PA-RES-01 between 7-30 days before expiry (no exceptions), indicating your interest in re-reserving the name, and giving evidence of actions taken and progress made toward qualifying to apply for registered party status.
   • The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) will decide if the evidence is sufficient to approve re-reservation of the name,
   • If approved, the name and abbreviation will be reserved for 6 months from the date of approval, carrying forward any progress made, and
   • If declined, and there is a request from another applicant for the same or similar name and abbreviation, the CEO may approve the other applicant’s request.
7. Beyond the 6 months, any further extension(s) or re-reservation(s), are pending satisfactory evidence that progress continues to be made toward qualifying to apply for registered party status.
8. Every application for reserving a proposed party name and abbreviation is evaluated and considered upon submission. Once a formal application is received, the Chief Electoral Officer will make a determination in accordance with the guidance set out in section 7 of the EFCDA. Please refer to “Meeting the Qualifications for Registration” below.

All decisions are solely at the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

Reserved Party Names

The following names have been approved by the Chief Electoral Officer and are reserved while these groups work to meet registration qualifications.

Meeting the Qualifications for Registration

A proposed party can qualify to register by meeting one of the following qualifications required under section 6 of the EFCDA:

• Holding 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, or
• Endorsing and ensuring candidates are nominated in at least half of the electoral divisions in Alberta for a general election, or
• Completing a petition containing at least 8,819 names and signatures of eligible electors (0.3% of the total number of electors that were eligible to vote in the last provincial general election held on May 29, 2023).

When one of the above qualifications is met, the proposed party can apply, in writing, for initial registration. The information below is required under section 7(1.2) of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act:

• the full name of the political party and abbreviation to be shown in documents,
• the name of the leader of the political party,
• the address of the place or places where records are to be maintained and of the place to which communications can be addressed,
• the names of the principal officers of the party,
• the name of the chief financial officer of the party,
• the name and address of the financial institution and the signing officers for the account into which contributions made to the party are to be deposited,
• an indication of the provision under section 6(2) that the party has qualified for registration,
• a statement of the assets and liabilities of the party as of a date not earlier than 90 days prior to the date of the application (attested to by the Chief Financial Officer), and
• a statement by the leader of the political party that one of the political party’s purposes is to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election.

Section 7(2.03) of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act requires a party’s application for registration to confirm it is incorporated under one of the following:

• a society under the Societies Act,
• a company under Part 9 of the Companies Act, or
• a corporation under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (Canada).

Contact finance@elections.ab.ca with any questions.