Recall Petitions in Canada
Recall is a process in Canada to remove a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from office between elections by collecting a sufficient number of signatures in the Member’s electoral division.
An individual who is an eligible elector and has lived in the electoral division for at least three months before the application date can apply for a recall petition.
The applicant must submit a statement of 100 words or fewer stating the reason for the recall.
If Elections Alberta approves the petition, the applicant has 90 days to collect signatures equal to 60% of the votes cast in that constituency in the most recent election.
As of December 2025, multiple United Conservative Party (UCP) MLAs in Alberta, including Premier Danielle Smith and several cabinet ministers, are facing recall petitions.
At least 20 UCP MLAs and one NDP MLA are subjects of recall efforts.
Elections Alberta is managing these active recall campaigns and has received an additional $6.7 million in funding to handle the increased number of petitions.
Perspectives
Recall petitions are a legitimate mechanism for holding politicians accountable and addressing public dissatisfaction.
Many petitioners are upset with the UCP government’s use of the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to end a teachers’ strike and feel their MLAs are not responsive to community concerns.
Some petitioners, such as Jennifer Yeremiy, argue that specific MLAs have failed in their roles, including prioritizing privatization in education at the expense of public systems.
Even if recall petitions do not succeed in removing an MLA, they can be effective in sending a signal to politicians.
A former political science professor noted that the people behind these recall petitions are frank.
Recall petitions are being misused or ‘weaponized’ for policy disputes rather than their intended purpose.
Premier Danielle Smith states that the recall process is being “abused” and was not designed to be used in this manner.
The UCP and the original architect of the recall bill, former Premier Jason Kenney, argue that it was intended to address serious ethical breaches, not to resolve policy disputes.
MLA Demetrios Nicolaides suggests that recall petitions should be tied to a member’s core duties, not simply dissatisfaction with government policy.
A UCP spokesperson responded that the recall process should not be used to overturn democratic elections just because an individual disagrees with government policy.
