Albertans will now be able to hold their elected officials accountable throughout their terms.
The Alberta government has introduced its long-promised Bill 52, the Recall Act, which would allow Albertans to initiate a process that could lead to removing and replacing elected officials, including members of the legislative assembly (MLAs), municipal officials, and school trustees during their term.
“Elected officials have a responsibility to Albertans, and Albertans should be able to hold those officials accountable throughout their term, not just at the ballot box,” says Premier Jason Kenney. “Albertans have told government for years that they want a greater say in the democratic process, and this legislation will help give them that voice.”
Constituents would have to wait 18 months after the respective provincial, municipal, or school board election before the recall of an elected official becomes an option.
An eligible Albertan could begin the process to have their MLA recalled by applying to the chief electoral officer. In the case of municipal officials, the Albertans would need to notify the chief administrative officer of the municipality. For school board officials, they would apply to the secretary of the relevant school board.
The person would have 60 days to gather signatures from 40% of eligible voters in their constituency for an MLA or their municipality for a municipal official. For school board trustees, the person would have 120 days to gather 40% of signatures from eligible voters in their school district or ward.
For a petition to recall a municipal official or school board trustee, there is a $500 application fee.
If the recall petition is successful, the voters in that MLA’s constituency would then vote to determine if they should be recalled. If the vote is successful, the MLA would be removed, and then a by-election would be held to choose a new representative.
If the recall petition for an elected municipal official is successful, the elected official is removed once the petition is presented at the next council meeting.
If the recall petition for a school board trustee is successful, they would be removed from the board. The board would then decide if a by-election is necessary.
The government says Elections Alberta would need to verify the signatures to determine if a recall petition for an MLA is successful. There will also be limits on how much Albertans and third parties, like political action committees, can spend on promoting or arguing against a recall petition and recall vote. These limits will be set in regulation.
