Albertans can now sign a petition calling for a referendum on whether the province should separate from Canada and become an independent state.

Elections Alberta issued the citizen initiative petition Jan. 2, with signature collection running from Jan. 3 to May 2, according to Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure.

The proposed referendum question asks: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?”

Proponent Mitch Sylvestre needs to collect 177,732 valid signatures for the petition to succeed. That represents 10 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2023 provincial general election.

Only registered canvassers may collect signatures during the 120-day signing period. Canvassers must be eligible electors and comply with Elections Alberta’s code of conduct.

Albertans wishing to sign must be approached by a registered canvasser and cannot sign online or download signature sheets independently. Digital signatures will not be accepted.

To sign the petition, eligible electors must produce one piece of government-issued photo identification with their name and current residential address, or two pieces of authorized identification with their name, one showing their current residential address.

Registered canvassers must witness each signature, view each elector’s identification to confirm eligibility, and sign each petition sheet.

Each elector may sign only once during the signature collection period. Canvassers will receive identification documents from Elections Alberta within two to three business days of their applications being approved.

Bill 14, the Justice Statutes Amendment Bill that took effect Dec. 11, 2025, introduced new rules for canvassers and electors signing petitions.

Sylvestre must submit all petition signature sheets to Elections Alberta by May 2. Any sheets received after that date will not be accepted.

Elections Alberta will verify the petition within 21 days of submission and report results on its website. If submitted on the final day, verification would be complete by May 23.

More information about the citizen initiative process, including proponent and canvasser responsibilities, financing rules and frequently asked questions, is available on the Elections Alberta website.

Elections Alberta is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly responsible for administering provincial elections, byelections and referenda.