Elections Alberta Hiring Returning Officers as Political Pressure Builds
EDMONTON — Amid an unprecedented wave of recall petitions and rising speculation of a potential snap election, Elections Alberta is moving forward with its recruitment drive for key electoral positions, preparing the ground for any future vote.
Job Openings include a Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and a number of Service Agents. The Service Agent positions may start as soon as January 18 2026, anticipated end date is March 31 2025 (sic) but may be extended.
Job openings also include Returning Officers to fill all 87 provincial constituencies, however, there are currently only 33 vacancies.
An Unprecedented Recall Campaign
From Cypress - Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright’s Facebook page. The image cutoff originated with the FB page.
This typically routine administrative step coincides with a period of intense political activity in Alberta. For the first time since its introduction, the province's Recall Act is being actively used. Elections Alberta has currently issued 26 recall petitions, with 24 of those targeting sitting United Conservative Party (UCP) MLAs.
The list of those facing recall efforts includes Premier Danielle Smith, as well as first-term UCP MLA Justin Wright of Cypress-Medicine Hat. Wright, who has recently used social media to highlight his work over the past year, is one of many UCP MLAs cited by petitioners for their support of contentious government legislation and perceived lack of constituency communication.
To succeed, a recall petition must gather signatures from a significant portion of an electoral district's voters. If the 60% threshold of 2023 election voters is met, it would trigger a referendum to decide if the MLA keeps their seat.
Snap Election Rumours Gain Traction
The twenty-six active recall petitions has fueled political speculation that Premier Smith may seek to dissolve the legislature and call a snap election. A general election would automatically cancel all ongoing recall campaigns. While the Premier's Office has not indicated any such plan, the possibility is being treated seriously. Opposition NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has stated his party is prepared for an election at any time.
The UCP government has chosen not to alter the Recall legislation at this time. Premier Danielle Smith's characterization of the current use of the Recall Act as an attempt to "overthrow the government" is inflammatory rhetoric. The recall campaign uses a lawful democratic tool created by the UCP, it is not an armed overthrow of her administration's mandate.
To call it an attempt to overthrow the government is irresponsible at best. There are people who take her word as gospel. Social media is full of UCP supporters who say they will “punch out” anyone who comes to their door with a recall petition or if they come as NDP door knockers. They may be bots, they may be legitimate. Many conservatives have told the Owl that these extreme views do not represent them, a number of conservatives have reportedly been signing the recall petitions.
2026 - Election Year?
Elections Alberta's mandate is to ensure the province is ready for a vote whenever it is called. The recruitment of Returning Officers is a foundational part of that readiness. These officers are responsible for all local aspects of an election, from securing polling locations to training staff and overseeing the vote count.
Their early appointment is a standard practice designed to ensure that when an election is called—whether in 2027 or sooner—the administrative framework is already in place.
The revelation that Elections Alberta is hiring for only 33 of the province's 87 returning officer positions is the clearest administrative signal yet that the machinery for a snap provincial election is being readied. This seems to be a targeted, final staffing push especially when the possible start date is mere weeks away.
With experienced officers already in place for 62% of the province's ridings, the electoral system is largely operational. The possible start date of January 18, 2026, for some of these new hires creates a concrete "ready-by" timeline, ensuring the apparatus is at full strength by early next year. This administrative move directly enables the political option of a 2026 vote, which would serve as the simplest mechanism for Premier Danielle Smith's government to circumvent the unprecedented "Operation Total Recall" campaign targeting two dozen (and counting) of its MLAs.
In the meantime, protests are still occuring in Medicine Hat, with many signing opportunities for both recall petitons. Operation Total Recall has a list of signing opportunties for multplpie recall petitions.
