Alberta issues petition for proposed independence referendum

Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer has formally issued a citizen initiative petition that could trigger a constitutional referendum on whether the province should pursue independence from Canada.

The petition, titled A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence, was released after Elections Alberta confirmed that all legal requirements — including the appointment of a Chief Financial Officer for the initiative — had been met.

The initiative, proposed by Alberta Prosperity Project chief executive officer Mitch Sylvestre, seeks public support for posing the following referendum question: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

To move forward, the petition must gather 177,732 valid signatures, representing 10 per cent of all votes cast in the 2023 provincial general election. The signature‑gathering period runs from Jan. 3 to May 2.

Elections Alberta has issued official signature sheets to the Sylvestre. Signatures collected on any other forms will not be accepted.

How the Process Works

Only canvassers registered by the proponent and approved by Elections Alberta may collect signatures. Canvassers must be eligible electors and must follow a code of conduct, including witnessing each signature and verifying each signer’s identification.

Eligible voters may sign the petition during the 120‑day collection window. All completed signature sheets must be submitted to Elections Alberta no later than May 2. Any sheets received after that date will be rejected.

Once the petition is submitted, Elections Alberta will have 21 days to verify the signatures. If the petition is filed on the final day of the collection period, results would be expected by May 23.

If the petition meets the signature threshold and passes verification, the proposal would move to the next stage of Alberta’s citizen‑initiated referendum process.

Sylvestre is a constituency association president for Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party. He has said he believes Alberta needs to go it alone because of Ottawa’s restrictions on oil production and dim prospects for federal electoral change.

The approved referendum question is similar to one the Alberta Prosperity Project previously submitted, which was held up in court for a constitutional review.

The delay prompted Smith’s government to change the rules for citizen-initiated referendums late last year.

With files from the The Canadian Press