How to Register a Party

The registration of new political parties in Alberta is governed under sections 6 and 7 of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA). This process includes:

Reserving a Party Name

• Consult the list of Registered Political Parties and Reserved Party Names to ensure your desired name is not in use.
• Submit a written request to Elections Alberta stating your proposed party name and abbreviation, and include your contact information
• We will notify you in writing if your request is approved or declined
  • If declined, we will provide the reason(s)
  • If approved, your party name and abbreviation will be reserved for 6 months from the date of approval to allow you to fulfill your other requirements listed below
• You can apply in writing for a 3-month extension stating the reason for your extension request and we must receive your request 1 week before your reservation has expired
  • We will notify you in writing if your extension request is approved or declined
  • You can apply in writing for a second 3-month extension, for a total of 12 months. After this final three month extension, no further extensions are allowed
  • There will be no extensions given past the one-year point
• Once your reservation period ends, if you have not completed the requirements to register, your political party, your party name and abbreviation will be removed from the reserved list
• If you want to re-reserve the same party name and abbreviation you must start the process anew (anything done previously is null and void)

Reserved Party Names

The following names have been approved by the Chief Electoral Officer and are reserved while these groups work to meet registration qualifications.

Meeting the Qualifications for Registration

Parties can qualify to become a registered political party by achieving one of the following:

• Holding 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly, or
• Endorsing candidates in at least half of the electoral divisions in Alberta, or
• Completing a petition containing at least 8,819 names and signatures of eligible electors (0.3% of the total number of electors that were eligible to vote in the last general election held on May 29, 2023).

When the qualifications for registration are met, you can apply, in writing, for initial registration as a political party with Elections Alberta. You must provide all of the information required under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act section 7(1):

• the full name of the political party and abbreviation to be shown in documents,
• the name of the leader of the political party,
• the address of the place of places where records are to be maintained and of the place to which communications can be addressed,
• the names of the principal officers of the party,
• the name of the chief financial officer of the party,
• the name and address of the financial institution(s) to be used by the party (where all contributions must be deposited),
• the names of the party’s signing officers, referent to the previous point,
• an indication of the provision, under section 6(2) that the party has qualified for registration, and
• a statement of the assets and liabilities of the party as of a date not earlier than 90 days prior to the date of the application (attested to by the Chief Financial Officer).
• a statement by the leader of the political party that one of the political party’s purposes is to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election