Alberta Regulation 77/2026 amends the Citizen Initiative Regulation under the Citizen Initiative Act to refine rules governing application fees, political contributions, financial reporting, and the use of funds during citizen-led initiative petition campaigns. The regulation is tied to broader legislative changes introduced through the Justice Statutes Amendment Act, 2026. The amendments are designed to clarify administrative procedures and provide additional flexibility for initiative proponents while maintaining financial accountability within Alberta’s citizen initiative framework.

One of the key changes concerns the refund of application fees paid by proponents seeking to launch an initiative petition. The amended regulation replaces the previous wording in section 2(3) with a more detailed set of circumstances under which the Chief Electoral Officer may refund the fee. Under the new provisions, a refund may occur if the Chief Electoral Officer determines that the statutory requirements for issuing an initiative petition have been met and receives all prescribed financial reports associated with the petition process in complete form. The regulation also allows refunds when an initiative petition process is terminated under section 1.11(2) of the Act, provided the required reports have still been submitted and deemed complete. This change strengthens the connection between financial compliance and eligibility for reimbursement, ensuring that proponents fulfill reporting obligations before public funds or fees are returned.

The regulation also modifies rules governing political contributions connected to initiative campaigns. Section 5(3) is replaced to clarify the exact time period during which contributions may legally be made. Contributions are now permitted only from the date a notice of intent is filed until the earliest occurrence of several specified events. These include the withdrawal or deemed withdrawal of the notice of intent, the withdrawal or rejection of the petition application, the withdrawal or deemed withdrawal of the petition itself, the termination of the initiative process under the Act, or the conclusion of the petition period. By explicitly outlining each endpoint, the amendment closes potential ambiguities surrounding fundraising timelines and establishes clearer boundaries for financial activity associated with citizen initiatives.

The amendments also broaden the types of expenses that may be reported and paid during initiative campaigns. Section 18(3) now specifically includes remuneration and expenses related to the appointment of a scrutineer as allowable costs. Scrutineers play a role in observing or verifying elements of the petition process, and the amendment formally recognizes these expenses as legitimate campaign-related expenditures. Corresponding changes are made to section 19 dealing with funds held in trust after the conclusion of campaign activity. While proponents are generally still required to hold remaining funds in trust after the designated period, a new exemption allows money needed to pay scrutineer remuneration and expenses to be used for those purposes. This ensures that oversight-related obligations can still be fulfilled even after other campaign funds become restricted.

Alberta (77/2026) May 15, 2026
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