Overview
- Elections Alberta completed a statistical verification that estimated 172,088 verified signatures, leaving the petition 5,644 signatures below the 177,732 needed to trigger a referendum.
- The agency said many initial signatures were excluded during validation for duplicate names, invalid dates, missing contact details or incomplete canvasser witness declarations, and others failed verification because electors could not be reached or declined to confirm.
- The petition was the first processed under rules added by Bill 23, which introduced scrutineers, the use of seeded names on May 1 as an anti‑irregularities measure, and new post‑verification record‑return and reporting requirements; Elections Alberta reported no seeded names were found.
- Organizers must return petition materials and canvasser ID by July 6, destroy extra copies and submit an affidavit, and file campaign financial reports with Elections Alberta by Aug. 10 under the law’s timelines.
- The drive, led by musician Corb Lund through the Water Not Coal campaign, sought to ban new coal mining in the Eastern Slopes and referenced local projects such as Grassy Mountain and Blackstone, a result that will keep the issue in local resource and water debates and may affect future petitions and campaigning.