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Legislation, Bulletins and Guidelines
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 This page is being updated to reflect the new legislation, and as such the information below may be outdated.
Elections Alberta is governed by provincial legislation. When an election, by-election, plebiscite, referendum, recall, citizen initiative, or enumeration is held, we must follow the rules outlined in legislation. This legislation includes the Election Act, Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, Referendum Act, Recall Act, Citizen Initiative Act, and the Alberta Senate Election Act.
We also have other specific duties assigned by the Local Authorities Election Act and the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act.
The Election Act assigns Elections Alberta the responsibility for:
Conducting provincial elections, enumerations, by-elections and plebiscites
Maintaining an up-to-date permanent Register of Electors
Investigating complaints of possible breaches of the Act and consenting to prosecution, if warranted
The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act assigns Elections Alberta the responsibility for:
Ensuring filing, examination, and public disclosure of financial documents submitted by political parties, constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants, prospective candidate associations, and third-party advertisers.
Enforcing legislation relating to the collection of contributions by political parties, constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants, prospective candidate associations, and third-party advertisers.
Maintaining a register of political parties, constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants, prospective candidate associations, and third-party advertisers.
Assisting groups forming new political parties.
Investigating complaints of breaches of the Act and consenting to prosecution (if warranted)
Elections Alberta is also responsible for two regulations under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act:
Prohibited Corporations Regulation
Excess Contribution Threshold Regulation
The Prohibited Corporations Regulation identifies corporations designated as prohibited corporations under section 3 of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.
The Alberta Senate Election Act assigns Elections Alberta the responsibility for overseeing the conduct of senate nominee elections. Senate elections can be held:
With a provincial general election,
With a local authority election, or
At a separate time, following the requirements of the Election Act.
The Citizen Initiative Act assigns Elections Alberta the responsibility for:
Managing the application, canvassing and verification process for initiative petitions for legislative or policy proposals or constitutional referendum proposals
Conducting an initiative vote where a proposal is referred to Elections Alberta by the Legislative Assembly
Ensuring filing, examination, and public disclosure of financial documents submitted by the proponent and third-party advertisers.
As of May 2024, Elections Alberta is required to provide information from the Register of Electors to support municipalities in creating a Permanent Elector Register. Using the information from Elections Alberta, municipalities are responsible for creating a List of Electors to be used in municipal elections.
As of August 1, 2019, the Election Commissioner will accept and investigate complaints and allegations related to campaign finance and contribution disclosure rules (Part 5.1), and third-party advertising rules (Part 8) contained within the Local Authorities Election Act. Complaints can arise concerning by-elections, term elections, or local general elections.
The enforcement authority of the Election Commissioner related to local authority elections includes all elections held for municipal councillors/mayors, school board trustees, irrigation district board members, and Métis Settlement councillors.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission Act assigns Elections Alberta the responsibility of providing advice, information, and assistance to the Electoral Boundaries Commission established by this Act. The Commission is responsible for reviewing existing electoral division boundaries and for recommending electoral division boundaries to the Legislative Assembly. A Commission must be appointed after every second provincial general election, between 8 and 10 years from the appointment of the last Commission.
The Chief Electoral Officer has provided interpretation bulletins under the Election Act and Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act in the following topic areas:
Guides to help political participants and contributors understand and comply with the rules under the Election finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA).
