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Recall Petition Verification Scrutineers

Amendments made to the Recall Act contained in Bill 23: Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, which came into force April 16, 2026, included provisions for scrutineers during a recall petition verification process.

The recall petition applicant and the Member of the Legislative Assembly named in the recall petition may both, in writing, appoint one or more lawyers who are active members of The Law Society to act as a scrutineer during petition verification process, and are required to pay any costs of their scrutineers.

  • Elections Alberta will, after receiving the petition and signature sheets, advise the applicant and the Member the dates, times, and location of the petition verification process.
  • Scrutineers for the applicant and Member named may be present for the verification. Only one scrutineer each for the applicant and the Member may be present at the same time and scrutineers may perform their functions at more than one place, if applicable.
  • Scrutineers may observe the verification process in a manner that does not compromise its conduct including:
    • verification the canvasser witnessed the signatures and swore an affidavit that, to the best of their knowledge, individuals were eligible to sign the recall petition, and
    • the signatures contain the required information in written form and
    • the petition sheets have attached to them each witness affidavit.
  • Scrutineers may record, in writing, any information that in their opinion may be relevant to a judicial review.
  • Scrutineers must produce proof of their appointment before being admitted to the place where petition verification is being conducted.
  • The Chief Electoral Officer may designate where a scrutineer may observe the verification process.
  • No one may impede a scrutineer from performing their functions.
  • Scrutineers must maintain the confidentiality of all information that comes to their knowledge as a result of being a scrutineer, except in the case of a judicial review or other proceedings related to the Act.