Recall FAQs

Application Process

  • An applicant must submit the following to Elections Alberta:

  • The application form, Notice of Recall Petition, Appointment of Chief Financial Officer and copies of your identification can be submitted electronically. Electronic signatures on all forms must include a date and time stamp. Payment of the application fee may be completed in person at the Elections Alberta office or by mail. All components of the application must be received prior to it being considered for approval.

  • Applications can only be submitted after the first 18 months following the election of a Member in a provincial general election or by-election.

    Applications cannot be submitted in the 6 months prior to the fixed election date.

    As we are now in the 6-month period before the fixed election date applications for recall are not being accepted. The application period will open again 18-months after the Provincial General Election.

  • There is no set criteria. The only requirement is that the applicant provide a statement of 200 words or less of why, in the opinion of the applicant, the Member should be recalled.

  • No. Only an individual who is an elector and has resided in the Member’s electoral division for at least 3 months can apply to have a petition issued.

  • Yes, the $500 application fee will be returned to the recall applicant following the filing of the required financial disclosure reports within the required timeline.

  • No. Only one recall application for a Member can be issued during the Member’s term unless the recall petition process is terminated due to the death, incapacitation or withdrawal of the applicant.

  • No. If the recall authorized participant is unable to continue with the recall campaign at any point before the petition sheets are returned, the authorized participant must advise Elections Alberta. All materials provided by Elections Alberta must be returned, at which time the recall canvassing period will end.

  • No. The Recall Act does not allow authorized participants to have access to the List of Electors.
    Authorized participants are not required to validate recall signatories to the List of Electors.

Canvassing

Signing a Petition

Verification

  • The authorized participant can submit the petition to the Chief Electoral Officer by mail, courier or in person, but must meet the following rules:

    • Submit all petition sheets at one time. No late submissions or partial submissions will be accepted.
    • Submit only the original signed petition sheets. Photocopies and faxes of signed petition sheets will not be counted.
    • Submit all of the original signed petition sheets, regardless of whether sufficient signatures have been collected.
    • All petition sheets must be received at Elections Alberta by 4:30pm on the 60th day of the canvassing period.
  • The verification period begins as soon as a petition is submitted. If an authorized participant submits a petition before the end of the 60-day canvassing period, they cannot continue to collect and submit signatures.

  • Elections Alberta will verify the petition within 30 days of the date the petition was submitted.

    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;
    • A review of each signature to ensure that the required information was provided (name, physical address, contact information, date, signature);
    • Confirmation that each page of the petition was witnessed by a registered canvasser, and that the witness signed the required affidavit;
    • A random sampling to confirm that the addresses are within the electoral division; and
    • Contacting a random sampling of electors to confirm that they signed the petition.

    Incomplete or invalid signatures are screened out and are not included in the final count. If it becomes clear during any part of the verification the count will not meet the 40% threshold, no further verification is done.

  • Electors may only sign a recall petition once. Depending on the circumstances, Elections Alberta may investigate instances of multiple signing. Only an individual’s first signature on a petition will count.

  • There is no provision in the Recall Act for observers or scrutineers.

  • The Lieutenant Governor in Council will order a recall vote to be conducted within 6 months of the date on which the successful results were published. The question to be submitted to the electorate is whether the named member should be recalled.

    A recall vote is successful if more than 50% of the electors who voted are in favor of the recall. If successful the MLA is removed and a by-election is held in the electoral division.