Press Releases Archives - Elections Alberta https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/category/press-releases/ An independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta responsible for the administration of provincial elections, by-elections, and referenda. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:56:41 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 Citizen Initiative Petition Verification Completed, Results Announced https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/ci-results-announced-sylvestre/ Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:56:41 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17410 EDMONTON, AB – As a result of a judicial decision on June 29, 2026, Elections Alberta has conducted the verification and determination process for the “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition. As required under section 10 of the Citizen Initiative Act in force on May 1, 2026, Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure has determined the requirements of section 6 have been met and the petition is successful. 

Results
Total number of signatures required for a successful petition
(10% of 1,777,315 votes cast in the 2023 Provincial General Election)		 177,732
Estimated number of electors in the province
(registered electors as of May 2025)		 2,966,192
Initial signature count 286,593 
Total number of valid signatures counted
(as described in Citizen Initiative Act s.6(4))		 279,337
Total number of verified signatures after random statistical sampling method applied with a 95% confidence level
(Citizen Initiative Act s.6(5))		 222,597
Estimated percentage of electors in the province who signed the signature sheets (verified signatures) 7.5%

The most frequent reasons signatures were rejected during the validation phase included incomplete addresses, electors not completing their declaration that they are an eligible elector, canvassers signing their witness declarations before electors signed the petition, and electors providing a mailing address instead of the required physical residential address. 292 duplicate signatures were also rejected. Signing a petition more than once is a breach of s.4(2) of the Act. 

 The primary reasons signatures were rejected during the verification phase included information provided by the elector during verification not matching the signature sheet, and electors being unable or unwilling to verify the information on the petition sheet. 

 On May 1, 2026, the Chief Electoral Officer directed that the Citizen Initiative petition verification process be amended to include determining if any of the seeded names from the Republican Party of Alberta’s List of Electors are contained in any incoming petition. If any of the seeded names are included, further scrutiny of the petition will result.

As part of the verification process, Elections Alberta screened the petition and has confirmed that none of the signatures submitted came from the seeded names on the Republican Party of Alberta’s List of Electors. 

 Additional information 

  • The statistically valid sample size for the verification portion of the process was 384. 952 individuals whose names were on the petition were contacted by phone to complete the 384 verifications. 
  • No individual contacted for verification reported their information was on the petition fraudulently. Elections Alberta is aware of a social media post alleging otherwise. Elections Alberta has reviewed the post in the context of our verification script and process and verification contacts records. The description in the social media post does not reflect that script or process and the verification records do not support the allegation. The account holder that made the post has not responded to requests for further information from Elections Alberta. 
  • Caller ID identifying calls were from Elections AB was active for the petition verification process. 
  • Electors who expressed a concern that the call or email from Elections Alberta were not legitimate were provided ways to contact Elections Alberta to confirm the contact was legitimate. 
  • If an elector contacted for verification did not answer a call, return a voicemail, or return an email from Elections Alberta during the process, they did not fail verification. 

As required by section 11(1) of the Act and as directed by the Court of Appeal, this notice has been published on the Elections Alberta website.

The Current Citizen Initiative Petitions page on the Elections Alberta website has been updated to reflect the results. 

 Next steps 

Following the public reporting of the results of the verification, the next steps in the citizen initiative process are on hold.  The decision to issue “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition” was quashed by the Court of King’s Bench on judicial review, and remains under appeal to the Court of Appeal.  Next steps will depend on the outcome of the appeal and further direction from the Court. 

Initiative Petition Background Information

The “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition is for a constitutional proposal with the proposed question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

Elections Alberta is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections, and referendums.

The application was approved and the Notice of Initiative Petition issued on January 2, 2026. Please see: New Citizen Initiative Petition Issued – Elections Alberta. 

 The signature period for “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition ended May 2, 2026, and on May 4, 2026, Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure received the petition and signature sheets from proponent Mitch Sylvestre, as well as a signed affidavit from the proponent that all copies of signature sheets have been destroyed, as required by section 6(1.1) of the Citizen Initiative Act. 

 Petition verification was stayed by the Court of King’s Bench. A decision of the Court of King’s Bench then quashed the Chief Electoral Officer’s decision approving the petition application. Boxes with the petition signature sheets were sealed, signed, locked in cabinets, secured and stored with 24/7 security monitoring until the verification process began. 

 Mr. Sylvestre appealed the quashing of the petition and on June 29, 2026, a Justice of the Court of Appeal issued a partial stay. The partial stay required Elections Alberta to complete the verification process contemplated by sections 10, 10.1 and 10.2 of the Citizen Initiative Act, and to report the results of the verification process to the public as contemplated by sections 11, 12(l)(c), and 12(2). This stay extended to allow the application of sections 13 and 13 .2 of the Citizen Initiative Act. 

 The partial stay does not require the Chief Electoral Officer to submit a copy of the proposal to the Minister, as set out in section 12(1)(b) of the Citizen Initiative Act. The Justice of the Court of Appeal provided direction that the partial stay be effective July 6, 2026. 

 The verification process was conducted between July 6 and July 23, 2026, and has now been completed. Any further steps in this citizen initiative process are stayed pending direction from the Court of Appeal.  

 More information on the citizen initiative process, including recent changes to legislation, what happens next if a petition is successful, the status of citizen initiative petitions, proponent financing rules, third party advertising rules, and answers to frequently asked questions may be found on Elections Alberta’s website. 

For media inquiries, please contact:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759 
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Special Ballot Requests Now Open for October 19 Referendum https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/2026-referendum-special-ballot-requests/ Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:40:53 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17385 EDMONTON, AB – Online applications to Vote by Mail are now open for the October 19, 2026, Referendum.  Vote by Mail, also known as a Special Ballot, is available to all eligible Alberta electors. Electors do not need to provide a reason to apply.

“Vote by Mail gives Albertans the flexibility to choose a day and time that works for them to sit down and consider the referendum questions,” said Gordon McClure, Chief Electoral Officer. “With 10 questions, some electors may want extra time to review the questions and voting by mail lets them do that on their own schedule.”

Vote by Mail is a convenient option for electors who will not be available or are going to be away from their electoral division during advance voting days October 13 -17, or on Election Day, October 19. This includes students studying away from home.

Applications to Vote by Mail close October 9, 2026, and all completed Special Ballot packages must be received by Elections Alberta by mail before 5:00pm on October 16, 2026. Returning Offices will not accept Special Ballot packages.

Apply to Vote by Mail
Electors can secure a Special Ballot by:

The last day to request a Special Ballot is October 9, 2026. Electors are encouraged to apply earlier enough to ensure they receive it and can return it by the deadline.

Once an application is received, a Vote by Mail package will be mailed to the address provided by the elector, which will include a prepaid return envelope. Special Ballot packages will begin mailing to electors on September 1, 2026.

Special ballots may also be picked up in person at:

  • Elections Alberta’s head office in Edmonton starting September 1, or
  • The elector’s electoral division Returning Office starting September 21.

A designate may pick up a package on the elector’s behalf. A person may apply for a Special Ballot on behalf of an elector only when the elector requires assistance due to disability or illness.

If an elector does not wish to be added to the List of Electors, they can request a secure Special Ballot.

Completing your Vote by Mail
Once electors receive their package, they can complete it at a time that suits them. Elections Alberta must receive completed packages by mail before 5 p.m. on October 16, 2026.

Electors voting by mail must sign a declaration and provide identification to prove their name and address. Please note: electors are required to include copies of their accepted ID with their Special Ballot. Please do not send Elections Alberta original forms of ID.

Other voting options
Electors may vote during Advance Vote in their electoral division, October 13-17 at any advance voting location in their electoral division.

Election Day voting locations will be open 9:00am to 8:00pm on October 19, 2026. Electors must vote at their assigned voting location in their electoral division on Election Day.

Referendum information
Visit our website to learn more about Referendum 2026. Apply to work during the Referendum at our recruitment webpage. All positions and training are paid.  Please see the Important Referendum Information Update for more information on ballots, voting, and voting requirements.  Follow Elections Alberta on social media for more Referendum 2026 updates.

 

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:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759 
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Elections Alberta Identifies “spoof” List of Electors Website with Fake Data https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/elections-alberta-identifies-spoof-list-of-electors-website-with-fake-data/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:40:35 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17374 EDMONTON, AB – Elections Alberta recently identified a website that appears to be attempting to represent itself as Elections Alberta. The URL, electionsab.ca, appears designed to mislead by mimicking our legitimate website’s URL, elections.ab.ca, and exploit concerns about the recent unauthorized use of the List of Electors.

This site produces a list of fictitious names, addresses, phone numbers, and fictitious “elector ID” numbers. The data generated is completely fake and is not derived from the List of Electors.

“I believe this disinformation activity is intended to “spoof” Elections Alberta and is an attempt to reduce public confidence in my Office and electoral events in Alberta,” said Chief Electoral Officer, Gordon McClure. “Disinformation activities of this nature were not included in the newly created “Deepfake” provisions in the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, and my Office does not have the legislative authority or jurisdiction to act or investigate this site. For these reasons, I have contacted the appropriate enforcement and cyber security agencies and made them aware of the existence of this website.  I am also taking steps to attempt to have this website taken down.”

Albertans are encouraged, if they come across similar activity on the internet or have questions about the legitimacy of any information purported to be coming from Elections Alberta, to contact us at 780.427.7191 or info@elections.ab.ca to seek confirmation and clarity.

 

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:
Maia-Lys Hanrahan
Media Relations
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Chief Electoral Officer Issues Referendum Advertising Interpretation Bulletin https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/ea-ceo-issues-referendum-advertising-interpretation-bulletin/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 20:40:13 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17357 EDMONTON – Today, Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer published a new Referendum Advertising Interpretation Bulletin. Interpretation Bulletin No. 9 Referendum Advertising is intended to provide guidance on what is and what is not referendum advertising under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA), and when the requirement to register as a Referendum Third Party Advertiser applied. It must be read in conjunction with the Guide for Referendum Third Party Advertisers.

“In response to much confusion and misinformation about what qualifies as referendum advertising under the EFCDA, as well as many questions and complaints to my Office, this Interpretation Bulletin helps political participants and electors understand and comply with the legislation,” explains Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure. “This also demonstrates my Office’s commitment to the fair and impartial administration of electoral legislation and holding all political participants equally accountable.”

Under the EFCDA, the definition of “referendum advertising” is “the transmission to the public by any means during the referendum advertising period of an advertising message that promotes or opposes a question in a referendum.” This means that “referendum advertising” must relate to a specific referendum question and the advertising must attempt to persuade an elector to vote in a particular way on that referendum question.  In other words, the advertising in question must be an attempt to convince an elector to vote in a certain way in response to an identifiable referendum question.

Not every advertisement that touches on the issues that are the subject of a referendum will meet the definition of “referendum advertising”.  General messages that may be associated with the issues that are the subject of a referendum, but are vague or ambiguous as to the referendum questions themselves, may not fall within the definition.

Referendum advertising in relation to Question 10 (the “separation question”) is advertising that promotes or opposes one of the options presented to electors. The message would generally need to promote, oppose, support, or encourage selection of one option over the other in order to fall within the definition of referendum advertising.

For example: displaying a Canadian flag or an Alberta flag (or both) would not fall within the definition of referendum advertising. The display of a flag alone does not promote or oppose a question in a referendum. Similarly, statements such as “Celebrate Alberta”, “send a message to Ottawa”, or “Celebrate Canada” do not specifically support or oppose a question in a referendum and, taken alone, would not constitute referendum advertising.

The Interpretation Bulletin contains additional information about messages that do or may fall into the definition of referendum advertising, particularly with respect to Question 10, events that may constitute referendum advertising, and exceptions to the definition of referendum advertising.

 

Additional Information

 

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:
Maia-Lys Hanrahan
Media Relations
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Citizen Initiative Petition Verification Begins https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/ci-petition-verification-begins-sylvestre/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:15:27 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17331 EDMONTON, AB – As a result of a judicial decision on June 29, 2026, Elections Alberta is set to begin petition verification for “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition on July 6, 2026. As required by section 10(2), the Chief Electoral Officer has provided notice to both the proponent and the Minister of Justice with the dates, times, and location of the verification process. Both the proponent and Minister can request scrutineers – lawyers and active members of the Law Society – to be present to observe the verification process.

On May 4, 2026, Elections Alberta received the signature sheets for the petition from proponent Mitch Sylvestre. Petition verification has been on hold since, due to a stay issued by the Court of King’s Bench, and then a decision quashing the issuance of the petition.

Mr. Sylvestre has appealed the quashing of the petition. On June 29, 2026, the Court of Appeal provided a decision on the stay pending appeal, issuing a partial stay. The partial stay requires Elections Alberta to proceed with the citizen initiative petition verification process as set out in section 10 of the Citizen Initiative Act and report results. The Court of Appeal has provided direction that the partial stay be effective July 6.

Next steps:
A citizen initiative petition requires signatures from at least 10% of the total number of votes cast in the previous provincial general election to be successful, in this case 177,732.

Elections Alberta has 21 days to verify the petition, using the method as prescribed in the Act to achieve a 95% confidence level.

The verification process includes:

  • 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, and individuals have signed the petition only once during the 120-day petition signing period;
  • A review of each signature to ensure the required information was provided (full name, physical address, contact information, date, signature, eligibility declaration);
  • Confirmation that each signature on the petition was witnessed by a registered canvasser and a canvasser signed each petition sheet;
  • A statistically valid random sample to confirm the signatories’ addresses are in Alberta; and,
  • Contacting a statistically valid random sample of signatories to verify their information and they signed the petition.

As soon as practical after completing the petition verification and no later than July 27, 2026, Elections Alberta will report the verification results on the Elections Alberta website.

Important: During the 21-day verification process, Elections Alberta staff will contact a sample of electors who signed the petition to verify their information and signatures, using the contact information recorded on the petition signature sheets. Electors who have signed the petition are asked to be prepared to verify their information, as they may be contacted.

If a phone number was listed in the contact information, randomly selected electors will receive a text message in advance of a verification phone call from Elections Alberta indicating we will be calling to verify their information. There is no need to call or text us back.

If an email was listed in the contact information, randomly selected electors will receive an email from Elections Alberta with the information to be verified. Electors will respond by email with the correct information in order to have their signature verified.

On May 1, 2026, the Chief Electoral Officer also directed that the Citizen Initiative petition verification process be amended. Verification will now include determining if any of the seeded names from the Republican Party of Alberta’s List of Electors are contained in any incoming petition. If any of the seeded names are included, further scrutiny will result. This updated process will apply to the “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” petition.

 

Initiative Petition Background Information
The “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative application from the proponent is for a constitutional proposal with the proposed question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

The application was approved and the Notice of Initiative Petition issued on January 2, 2026. Please see: New Citizen Initiative Petition Issued – Elections Alberta.

The signature period for “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition ended May 2, 2026, and Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure received the petition and signature sheets from proponent Mitch Sylvestre, as well as a signed affidavit from the proponent that all copies of signature sheets have been destroyed, as required by section 6(1.1) of the Citizen Initiative Act.

Boxes with the petition signature sheets were sealed, signed, locked in cabinets, and are secured and stored with 24/7 security monitoring until the verification process begins.

More information on the citizen initiative process, including recent changes to legislation, what happens next if a petition is successful, the status of citizen initiative petitions, proponent financing rules, third party advertising rules, and answers to frequently asked questions may be found on Elections 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:
Maia-Lys Hanrahan
Media Relations
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Citizen Initiative Petition Verification Completed, Results Announced https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/ci-petition-verification-completed-results-announced-lund/ Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:33:33 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17283 EDMONTON – Elections Alberta has completed verification for the “No New Coal Mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains” citizen initiative petition. Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer, Gordon McClure, has determined, as required under section 10 of the Citizen Initiative Act in effect on May 1, 2026, the requirements of section 6 have not been met and the petition is unsuccessful.

Results
Total number of signatures required for a successful petition
(10% of 1,777,315 votes cast in the 2023 Provincial General Election)		 177,732
Estimated number of electors in the province
(registered electors as of May 2025)		 2,966,192
Initial signature count 207,435
Total number of valid signatures counted
(as described in Citizen Initiative Act s.6(4))		 196,088
Total number of verified signatures after random statistical sampling method applied with a 95% confidence level
(Citizen Initiative Act s.6(5))		 172,088
Estimated percentage of electors in the province who signed the signature sheets (verified signatures) 5.8%

The primary reasons signatures were rejected during the validation phase included incomplete elector information, invalid dates, electors signing the petition more than once, and incomplete or improperly completed canvasser signature witnessing declarations. No seeded names were found on the petition.

The primary reasons signatures were rejected during the verification phase included electors being unable or unwilling to verify the information on the petition sheet, and not providing valid contact information to reach them for verification.

As required by section 11(1) of the Act, this notice has been published on the Elections Alberta website.

The Current Citizen Initiative Petitions page on the Elections Alberta website has been updated to reflect the results.

Next steps
Within two days of the publication of the results of the initiative petition (by July 6, 2026, as July 5 is a Sunday), as required by section 6(1.1) of the Act, the proponent must:

  • Return the citizen initiative petition and all canvasser identification documents to Elections Alberta;
  • Destroy all additional copies of signatures sheets made by the proponent or canvassers; and
  • Submit to Elections Alberta a signed affidavit confirming all signature sheets have been returned and all copies destroyed.

The proponent must file their required financial reports with Elections Alberta no later than August 10, 2026.

Initiative Petition Background Information
The “No New Coal Mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains” citizen initiative application from the proponent was for a legislative proposal, requesting legislation prohibiting any new coal mining activity in the Eastern Slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.

The petition application was approved and the Notice of Initiative Petition issued on February 10, 2026. The petition signature collection period ended June 10, 2026, and the signature sheets delivered to Elections Alberta. The petition verification process began on June 11, 2026.

On May 1, 2026, the Chief Electoral Officer also directed that the Citizen Initiative petition verification process be amended. Verification now includes determining if any of the seeded names from the Republican Party of Alberta’s List of Electors are contained in any incoming petition. If any of the seeded names are included, further scrutiny of the petition will result.

Petition verification concluded on July 2, 2026 as required by section 10 of the Act. This was the first petition verification process that included scrutineers, as added to the Act by Bill 23: Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 on May 1, 2026.

More information on the citizen initiative process, including recent changes to legislation, the status of citizen initiative petitions, proponent financing rules, third party advertising rules, and answers to frequently asked questions may be found on Elections 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:
Maia-Lys Hanrahan
Media Relations
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Citizen Initiative Petition Received, Verification Begins https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/citizen-initiative-petition-received-verification-begins-lund/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 22:01:46 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=16997 EDMONTON, AB – The signature period for the “No New Coal Mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains” citizen initiative petition ended June 10, 2026, and Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure today received the petition and signature sheets from proponent Corby Lund.

The Chief Electoral Officer has also received a signed affidavit from the proponent that all copies of signature sheets have been destroyed, as required by section 6(1.1) of the Citizen Initiative Act.

Elections Alberta will now proceed with the citizen initiative petition verification process.

Amendments to the Citizen Initiative Act contained in Bill 23: Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, which came into force May 1, 2026, provides for changes to the verification process. Both the proponent and Minister of Justice can request scrutineers – lawyers and active members of the Law Society – to be present to observe the verification process.  As required by section 10(2), the Chief Electoral Officer has provided notice to both the proponent and the Minister with the dates, times, and location of the verification process.

A citizen initiative petition requires signatures from at least 10% of the total number of votes cast in the previous provincial general election to be successful, in this case 177,732.

Next steps:
Elections Alberta has 21 days to verify the petition, using the method as prescribed in the Act to achieve a 95% confidence level.

The verification process includes:

  • 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, and individuals have signed the petition only once during the 120-day petition signing period;
  • 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 and a canvasser signed each petition sheet;
  • A statistically valid random sample to confirm the signatories’ addresses are in Alberta; and
  • Contacting a statistically valid random sample of signatories to verify their information and they signed the petition.

As soon as practical after completing the petition verification and no later than July 1, 2026, Elections Alberta will report the verification results on the Elections Alberta website. If the petition is successful, Elections Alberta will submit a copy of the legislative proposal to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

Important: During the 21-day verification process, Elections Alberta staff will contact a sample of electors who signed the petition to verify their information and signatures, using the contact information recorded on the petition signature sheets. Electors who have signed the petition are asked to be prepared to verify their information, as they may be contacted.

If a phone number was listed in the contact information, randomly selected electors will receive a text message from Elections Alberta indicating we will be calling to verify their information. Elections Alberta’s name will appear on the call display. There is no need to call or text us back.

If an email was listed in the contact information, randomly selected electors will receive an email from Elections Alberta with the information to be verified. Electors will respond by email with the correct information in order to have their signature verified.

On May 1, 2026, the Chief Electoral Officer also directed that the Citizen Initiative petition verification process be amended. Verification will now include determining if any of the seeded names from the Republican Party of Alberta’s List of Electors are contained in any incoming petition. If any of the seeded names are included, further scrutiny will result.

Initiative Petition Background Information
The “No New Coal Mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains” citizen initiative application from the proponent is for a legislative proposal, requesting legislation prohibiting any new coal mining activity in the Eastern Slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.

The application was approved and the Notice of Initiative Petition issued on February 10, 2026. Please see: New Citizen Initiative Petition Issued – Elections Alberta

More information on the citizen initiative process, including recent changes to legislation, what happens next if a petition is successful, the status of citizen initiative petitions, proponent financing rules, third party advertising rules, and answers to frequently asked questions may be found on Elections 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:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Elections Alberta Launches Largest Recruitment Drive in Alberta’s History https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/ea-launches-largest-recruitment-drive-in-ab-history/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:03:09 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17206 EDMONTON – Today, Elections Alberta is launching the largest electoral event worker recruitment campaign in Alberta’s history and one of the largest referendum recruitment efforts ever undertaken in Canada ahead of the province’s upcoming referendum on October 19, 2026.

With ten ballot questions, Elections Alberta will print 45 million ballots, far exceeding the 1.8 million ballots cast in Alberta’s 2023 provincial general election  and the 19.8 million ballots cast in Canada’s 2025 federal general election.

To achieve the 48-hour deadline to complete the unofficial ballot count, a minimum of 60,000 workers will be required.

“This referendum will be a colossal undertaking and requires Albertans to work together to deliver the upcoming referendum. Working with us in the coming months provides a great opportunity for students, teams, community groups, and Albertans from all walks of life to get involved in the democratic process,” said Gordon McClure, Chief Electoral Officer.

“I especially encourage rural Albertans to apply. Delivering a referendum of this scale will require dedicated election workers in every corner of our province,” McClure added.

Seeking to recruit more than 60,000 workers for upcoming referendum

All Alberta residents 16 years or older and eligible to work in Canada are welcome to apply. Some positions will require applicants to be 18 years or older, all election workers will need to pass a criminal history check, and election workers will be unable to participate in any political activity during their employment. Elections Alberta is a non-partisan, independent Office of the Legislature, and all election officers must sign an oath requiring them to uphold the non-partisan mandate of the Office during the Referendum.

For day-to-day operations, Elections Alberta is staffed by 48 permanent staff. This expands significantly during election periods.

During the 2023 Alberta provincial general election, Elections Alberta hired 13,095 election workers, with the total cost for the election coming to approximately $37 million.

Recruiting more than 60,000 workers for the upcoming referendum is no small task. For context, the 1995 Quebec referendum required the recruitment of 57,000 electoral workers to assist the 4.8 million voters and manage polling stations.

How to apply

Interested Albertans can apply online at https://recruitment.elections.ab.ca/8400/8.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early and should apply separately for each role they are interested in. Successful applicants will begin to be notified starting in mid-July.

Applications will be directed to the Returning Officer for the applicant’s electoral division based on their residential address. Applicants may also be asked to work in electoral divisions adjacent to where they live.

Applicants are asked to be patient due to the large volume of roles being recruited for and applications received. Only selected candidates will be contacted. Please do not contact Elections Alberta to inquire about the status of your application.

About the positions

Positions will include Election Officers who staff the voting places and Counting Officers who are responsible for vote-counting once voting places close.

A variety of roles are available including:

  • Site supervisors,
  • Information officers,
  • Voting officers,
  • Ballot box clerks,
  • Registration officers,
  • Record clerks,
  • Count supervisors,
  • Count coordinators, and
  • Count officers.

All positions are paid, and the time commitment varies depending on the role. Some positions will begin October 13, with paid training scheduled in early October prior to the position start date. The training will involve a mix of online and in-person, depending on the role.

Applications from rural Albertans are especially encouraged to help support referendum administration and vote counting across the province.

Positions are available for the following periods:

  • Advance Voting – October 13 – 17, 2026,
  • Election Day – October 19, 2026, and
  • Counting Ballots – October 19 – 21, 2026.

Visit our website to learn more about Referendum 2026, the hiring process, read descriptions of the positions, and apply at our Recruitment webpage.

Please see the Important Referendum Information Update for more information on ballots, voting, and voting requirements.

Requirements on timelines to release the unofficial count are set out in the Referendum (General) Regulation. Read more about the amendments which came into effect April 23, 2026. Read the news release on all the changes to the Regulation made in Bill 23.

Follow Elections Alberta on social media for more Referendum 2026 updates.

 

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:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Important Referendum Information – May 2026 https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/important-referendum-information-may-2026/ Fri, 29 May 2026 16:24:58 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=17072 EDMONTON – “Elections Alberta recognizes Albertans’ deep interest in the upcoming referendum and will be providing important information on our website over the next weeks and months leading up to October 19, 2026,” said Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure. “Elections Alberta is your trusted, non-partisan source for the facts about how provincial referendums are run, what safeguards are in place, and the results of electoral events in Alberta. We encourage all Albertans to take the time to understand this information so they are informed and ready to participate and vote in this historic event.”

Ballots and Questions
There will be ten questions in the referendum. Each question will be on a separate colour-coded and numbered ballot. Electors will receive their ballots in the order set out on Elections Alberta’s website. This means Question 10, “Should Alberta remain a province in Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”, will be provided to electors first. Electors will be given all ballots at the same time, in an ordered stack. Once they have filled in their ballots, electors will deposit them into separate, colour-coded ballot boxes assigned to each question. Elections Alberta anticipates there will be approximately 34 million ballots used.

Unofficial Results Reporting
Ballots will be counted and results reported in the order set out on Elections Alberta’s website. This means Question 10 will be counted first at each voting location and station. Results will be published on Elections Alberta’s website by voting area and electoral division as they are received from Returning Officers. Once a counting team completes the hand count for a question, they will submit their results to the Returning Officer for reporting and then begin to count the next question in sequence. This will continue until all ballots are counted. As set out in the Referendum (General) Regulation, unofficial results must be reported within 48 hours of the close of voting.

Voting in the Referendum
Voting in the referendum will be similar to voting in a provincial general election. Electors will be able to choose from multiple voting opportunities, including advance voting, Election Day voting, and special ballots (voting by mail). Special ballots are available for electors who may be away during in-person voting. Applications for special ballots will open in late July, and Elections Alberta will send out more information at that time.

To vote in the referendum, you must be a Canadian citizen, ordinarily resident in Alberta, and 18 years of age or older. Ex-pats and individuals who have moved from Alberta are not eligible to vote. Students studying outside of Alberta are eligible to vote, providing they intend to return home to Alberta. You must vote in your electoral division, or vote by special ballot. Learn more at Who Can Vote.

You will be required to show ID to vote in the referendum except in the circumstances noted below, so now is a good time to ensure you have accepted ID. You may use:

  • one piece of government-issued photo ID with you full name, current residential address, and photo or
  • two pieces of ID which have your full name and at least one of which shows your current physical address, or
  • have a signed attestation form (for specific elector circumstances only).
  • Electors who reside at a supportive living facility, long-term care facility or a shelter, or who receive support or services from a community support centre may also vote at a mobile voting station established for that facility. These electors are acknowledged by an official of the facility to be resident or receiving services and are not required to show any identification. They are deemed resident in the electoral division in which the facility is located. See Mobile Voting for more information on this voting option.

There are more than 50 forms of accepted ID. Learn more at ID Required to Vote.

Working the Referendum
Given a very high anticipated voter turnout, Elections Alberta anticipates requiring 60,000 or more Albertans to work as election officers to facilitate the vote and the count. Recruitment for staff in Returning Offices across Alberta is well underway and election officer recruitment will begin June 8, 2026. All positions are paid, and generally open to individuals who are 16 years of age or older (some positions require you to be 18+), eligible to work in Canada, meet the position requirements, and pass a Criminal Records Check. Election officers complete comprehensive training, and are required to both sign an oath and refrain from any political activity during the course of their employment. Available positions will be posted on the Elections Alberta job webpage. Elections officers are critical to successfully delivering this important event, and we are counting on Albertans to step forward in service.

Campaigning and Advertising
Alberta is in a referendum period and referendum third party advertising legislation is in effect, beginning March 31, 2026, for supporting either the Yes or No side of Questions 1 through 9, and as of May 28, 2026, for supporting one of the options in Question 10. The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act requires political participants to follow rules around referendum advertising and financial contributions and disclosure. They are required to file weekly reports, and those reports will be published every Friday on our public disclosure website at efpublic.elections.ab.ca. For more information on these responsibilities and requirements to register as a third party advertiser, please see Referendum TPAs. Note: The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act does not apply to a registered party, constituency association, or MLA for a referendum.

Election Integrity
Elections Alberta is administering fair, secure, transparent, and independent elections and referendums so voters trust both the process and the results. Today, we launched the new Election Integrity section of our website to assist voters in separating fact from fiction, understanding electoral processes and laws, and identifying misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. It also explains new legislation prohibiting deepfakes. It is up to all Albertans to ensure misinformation and disinformation does not spread and negatively impact our electoral processes.

More information will follow in the coming weeks and months. Visit our website to learn more about Referendum 2026 and follow Elections Alberta on social media for updates.

 

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:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

]]> Citizen Initiative Petition Received, Verification on Hold https://www.elections.ab.ca/resources/media/news-releases/citizen-initiative-petition-sylvestre/ Mon, 04 May 2026 21:33:26 +0000 https://as-cc-eabws-www-001.azurewebsites.net/?p=16595 EDMONTON, AB – The signature period for “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative petition ended May 2, 2026, and Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure today received the petition and signature sheets from proponent Mitch Sylvestre. The Chief Electoral Officer has also received a signed affidavit from the proponent that all copies of signature sheets have been destroyed, as required by section 6(1.1) of the Citizen Initiative Act.

Boxes with the petition signature sheets were sealed, signed, locked in cabinets, and are secured and stored with 24/7 security monitoring until the verification process begins.

Petition verification is on hold pending an Alberta Court of King’s Bench decision. On April 10, 2026, in response to a lawsuit from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy, Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard issued a temporary stay preventing the petition’s certification. The injunction halts the verification process until a full judicial review is completed.

Pending outcome of this matter and once the Justice permits, Elections Alberta will have 21 days to verify the petition, using the method as prescribed in the Act to achieve a 95% confidence level.

On May 1, the Chief Electoral Officer directed that the Citizen Initiative petition verification process be amended. Verification will now include determining if any of the seeded names from the Republican Party of Alberta’s List of Electors are contained in any incoming petition. If any of the seeded names are included, further scrutiny will result. This updated process will apply to the “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” petition.

Elections Alberta cannot alter a petition that has been delivered to us. What we can and will do is conduct a very thorough petition verification process. The process is outlined on our website.

“We validate every signature on the petition and every canvasser witness statement. We check for and remove duplicate signatures from the count. We will check for the seeded names from the Republican Party of Alberta’s copy of the List of Electors,” says McClure.

In any petition verification process, if people selected by statistically valid random sample to be contacted choose to not verify their information for any reason, that is recorded as not verified, and applied against the signature count.

Should information during the verification process reveal anomalies, further steps will be taken to ensure a 95% confidence level the signatures on the petition are valid and verified.

 

Initiative Petition Background Information
The “A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence” citizen initiative application from the proponent is for a constitutional proposal with the proposed question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

The application was approved and the Notice of Initiative Petition issued on January 2, 2026. Please see: New Citizen Initiative Petition Issued – Elections Alberta.

More information on the citizen initiative process, including recent changes to legislation, what happens next if a petition is successful, the status of citizen initiative petitions, proponent financing rules, third party advertising rules, and answers to frequently asked questions may be found on Elections 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 referenda.

 

For media inquiries, please contact:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759
Email: media@elections.ab.ca

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