Verification to take place for separatist referendum petition

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However, Smith said that because the legal appeal will take months, a final, binding vote on separation is not possible this fall. (The Canadian Press)

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Notes from Office of the Chief Electoral Officer

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.

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.