Alberta’s United Conservative government has dramatically lowered the bar for triggering a referendum, making it far easier for citizens to force a province-wide vote on major issues—including Alberta’s relationship with Canada.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery announced the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Bill 54) this week. The proposed amendments were among a suite of changes “to protect democracy, deliver fair and open elections, and increase confidence in every vote cast.”
“We are expanding opportunities for Albertans to be involved in direct democracy by making changes to the threshold needed for successful citizens’ initiatives,” said Smith. “Democracy is the foundation of our freedoms and the source of legitimacy for governments at every level. It must be protected, strengthened and defended.”
The legislation drops the required number of petition signatures from 600,000 to just 177,000, based on 10 per cent of ballots cast in the last general election. It also extends the time to collect signatures from 90 to 120 days, significantly improving the odds for referendum campaigns to succeed.
The previous 600,000-signature estimate was based on 20 per cent of all registered electors across Alberta. Under the revised law, the threshold is now 10 per cent of those who voted in the last general election, significantly increasing the chances of a successful referendum.
Other changes in the legislation include banning electronic tabulators and automated voting machines, requiring votes to be hand-counted, removing vouching at voting stations, updating the Recall Act by lowering the threshold and extending the time frame to collect signatures, and more.
The Recall Act formerly required that a petition be signed by at least 40 per cent of all registered electors in the riding. Now, the threshold has been changed to 60 per cent of the total electors who voted in the electoral district’s most recent election.
The previous recall petition launched against Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek received 72,271 signatures, well below the 514,284 signatures required at the time. Per the new regulations, 235,854 signatures would have been required to recall Gondek.
Amery said the changes follow a review of the province’s democratic process legislation. He added that the review highlighted opportunities to strengthen the democratic processes in provincial elections, Senate elections, referendums, and citizen initiative petitions.
“Moving quickly, recognizing that Albertans have important issues that they’d like to be heard, and having the opportunity to have those referenda take shape quickly is important to us,” said Amery. “It’s entirely appropriate to provide the rules around a citizen initiative and, where one is successful, to do everything that we can to make sure that Albertans have an opportunity as quickly as possible to review the question and make a decision about that.”
The justice minister confirmed that mail-in ballots will now be usable for voting in constitutional referendums.
While the province says it is not pushing for an independence referendum, Smith made clear the path is open if citizens initiate the process.
“I believe in Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada,” said Smith. “However, there is a citizen-initiated referenda process, that if citizens want to put a question on a ballot and get enough of their fellow citizens to sign that petition, then those questions will be put forward.”Some non-partisan groups have advocated for a referendum. Currently, a petition by the Alberta Prosperity Project has seen 93,000 people registered.