What is a Recall Petition?
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) allows eligible electors to petition to recall (remove) a member of Council through a specific legislated process.
This information provided on recall petitions is intended to assist eligible electors in the process, has no legislative sanction and is not inclusive of all the information related to recall petitions, the procedures, and the relevant legislation. It is not a substitute for legal advice. It is recommended that you obtain a copy of the Municipal Government Act, the Local Authorities Election Act, and other relevant legislation.
An eligible elector intending to submit a recall petition is responsible for reading and understanding all legislation concerning recall petitions and should seek legal advice or contact Municipal Affairs regarding requirements under Provincial legislation.
Personal Information contained in a recall petition will only be used to validate the petition and will not be released to anyone except the Chief Administrative Officer or their delegate.
When can a Notice of Recall Petition be submitted?
For the current 2021-2025 term of Council, a notice of recall petition may be submitted between April 24, 2023 to December 31, 2024 inclusive.
A notice of recall petition cannot be submitted within the 18-month period immediately following an election or as of January 1 of the year of a general election.
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Population
In accordance with Alberta Municipal Affairs Ministerial Order MSD:021/023, the population for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and the respective Wards, not including the shadow population, is:
Ward 1 (Fort McMurray) | 72,056 |
Ward 2 (Fort Chipewyan, Fort Fitzgerald, Fort McKay) | 969 |
Ward 3 (Draper, Saprae Creek Estates) | 889 |
Ward 4 (Anzac, Conklin, Gregoire Lake Estates, Janvier) | 1095 |
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Total Population | 75,009 |
Recall Petition Process
Step 1: Submit a Notice of Recall Petition to the Municipality |
An eligible elector (representative recall petitioner) must submit a notice of recall petition to the Municipality. The representative recall petitioner is the person who represents those who have signed the petition. The Notice of Recall Petition must:
The Notice of Recall Petition must be accompanied by:
The representative recall petitioner should contact office of the Chief Legislative Officer at legislative.assistants@rmwb.ca or 780-743-7001 to arrange a time to deliver the original notice of recall petition with accompanying statement and to pay the application fee. |
Step 2: The Municipality verifies the submitted Notice of Recall Petition |
The Chief Legislative Officer and the Elections Office will verify the submitted notice of recall petition. Within seven days of receipt of the notice of recall petition, the Municipality will inform the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the representative recall petitioner, and the Member of Council named in the notice of recall petition if the notice of petition meets the legislated requirements. |
Step 3: Create the Recall Petition and Collect Signatures |
Recall petitions must meet the requirements of the Municipal Government Act (MGA). Petition Statement A recall petition must consist of one or more pages and conform to any regulations set by the Government of Alberta. Each page must contain the following information from the notice of recall petition:
Who Can Sign a Petition? Only electors who are eligible to vote under the Local Authorities Election Act for the member of Council that the petition relates to may sign a recall petition for that member of Council. Eligible electors must be at least 18 years old and be a Canadian citizen when signing the petition. In addition,
An individual shall only sign a recall petition once. Information Petitioners Must Provide on a Petition Each petitioner who signs the petition must provide the following information in legible print:
All signatures must be original signatures; (no duplicate signatures) and digital or online signatures will not be accepted. Witness Obligations Every signature on the petition must be witnessed by an adult person, who must sign the document next to the name of the petitioner whose signature is being witnessed. The witness must make an affidavit that to the best of the person’s knowledge the signatures witnessed are those of persons entitled to sign the petition. The affidavits must be attached to the petition. Number of Signatures The representative recall petitioner must obtain eligible signatures equal to:
Signature Collection Period Signatures can only be collected within the 60-day period commencing from the date that the notice of recall petition has been published to the Municipal website. |
Step 4: Submitting the Petition |
The representative recall petitioner must contact office of the Chief Legislative Officer at legislative.assistants@rmwb.ca or 780-743-7001 to arrange a time to deliver the original petition. Submission Deadline The representative recall petitioner has 60 days from the date that the notice of recall petition has been published to collect signatures and submit their petition to the Municipality. |
Step 5: Municipal Review of Petition |
The Municipal Government Act requires the Municipality to assess whether the recall petition meets sufficiency requirements, which means counting the number of valid signatures on the petition and confirming that the petition meets all the legislated requirements. |
Step 6: Report of Sufficiency of Petition |
The Municipal Government Act requires the Municipality to determine the sufficiency of the petition within 45 days after the date on which the recall petition is filed. A declaration stating whether the recall petition is sufficient or insufficient must be made to Regional Council at the first Council meeting after the determination of sufficiency is made. If a Recall Petition is Declared Sufficient If a recall petition is declared sufficient, on making the declaration at the Council meeting:
The Municipality will publish the declaration of sufficiency on the Municipal website and provide the declaration to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the representative recall petitioner, and the Member of Council named in the notice of recall petition. If a Recall Petition is Declared Insufficient If a recall petition is declared insufficient or if no recall petition is submitted before the end of the 60-day recall petition signature period, the Municipality will publish the declaration of insufficiency on the Municipal website, and provide the declaration to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the representative recall petitioner, and the Member of Council named in the notice of recall petition. |
Submitting a Recall Petition to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Step by Step Guide