Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)
“Alberta’s government introduced the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, to protect democracy, deliver fair and open elections, and restore confidence in every vote cast.
“Reviewing and updating democratic process legislation is part of my mandate to ensure elections across the province, whether provincial, municipal or Senate, deliver results Albertans can trust.
“The Election Statutes Amendment Act will expand opportunities for Albertans to participate directly in democracy through recall and citizen initiative processes and make voting easier by giving Albertans more options to cast a ballot and prove their place of residence.
“Since introducing the legislation, we have been clear that any citizen-initiated referendum question must not violate the constitutional rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, and must uphold and honour Treaties 6, 7 and 8.
“However, in response to feedback from First Nations and Indigenous partners and to reassert our commitment to protecting Treaty rights, the bill now includes a clause stating that nothing in a referendum under the Act is to deviate from existing Treaty rights. Alberta’s government will always recognize, protect, and honour Treaty rights as recognized by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
“To ensure the Chief Electoral Officer has the appropriate amount of time to conduct an investigation, Alberta’s government has amended the bill to allow an investigation into election misconduct one year after the Election Commissioner receives the complaint or two years after they knew or ought to have known of a matter that permits the Election Commissioner to conduct an investigation, whichever is shorter.
“Alberta’s government has also introduced an amendment that will preserve the status quo and disallow mail-in ballots for constitutional referendums, which is currently the law. Allowing mail-in ballots for only non-constitutional referendums will protect the integrity of the process and increase public confidence in the results of a referendum.
“Elections are an important cornerstone of our democracy, and democracy thrives when people trust our democratic processes. The Election Statutes Amendment Act will strengthen election laws and ensure every election is free and fair.”
Related information
- Improving consistency and fairness in Alberta’s democratic processes