How to Return Signature Sheets

1. Why should I go to the trouble of submitting in September if I am still collecting signatures?

We are expecting at least 50,000 pieces of paper! Submitting all the packages at the end of the campaign would make it difficult for the central campaign team to organize and box the Signature Sheets before the October 28 deadline to submit to Elections Alberta.

2. What if I only have a small number of signatures? Should I still submit my Signature Sheets at the end of September?

Every signature is important, but if you have less than 25 signatures, the September collection is optional and you may want to keep collecting signatures until the next collection period in the third week of October.

3. What if I am away at the end of September or unable to bring my Signature Sheets to a Petition Collection Location?

You have three options:

1. You can send your Signature Sheets, Cover Sheet, and sworn or affirmed Affidavit to Forever Canadian, 9175 14 Street NW, Edmonton T6P 0B7. If you need help finding a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public who is willing to administer the swearing or affirmation of the Affidavit for free, please email petitioncollection@forever-canadian.ca and we will try to help you.
2. You can give your Signature Sheets, Cover Sheet, and sworn or affirmed Affidavit to a trusted friend or canvasser to drop off on your behalf. If you need help finding a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public who will administer the swearing or affirmation of the Affidavit for free, please email petitioncollection@forever-canadian.ca and we will try to help you.
3. You can wait until the October collection period.

4. Why do I need to fill out the Signature Sheet Cover Sheet?

The Signature Sheet provides your contact details, total signatures, and submission location details. This helps us to reach you if we have any questions about your submission and will help us keep a running record of the number of signatures collected.

5. What’s important to know about Affidavits? Isn’t signing at the bottom of each Signature Sheet sufficient?

• The Chief Electoral Officer has required that each canvasser attach to their Signature Sheets (i.e., the sheets they have signed as a witness at the bottom of the page) an Affidavit that is sworn or affirmed before a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public.
• Ensure that you use the specified Affidavit form provided by Elections Alberta. This is form 1405 – Citizen Initiative Petition Witness Affidavit.
• You can fill in some of the fields in the Affidavit in advance of meeting the Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public, but you need to sign and swear or affirm the oath in the presence of the Commissioner or Notary.
• The Affidavit asks for the total number of pages witnessed. Each side of a Signature Sheet counts as one, so a two-sided Signature Sheet counts as two. Please number your Signature Sheets (bottom right corner) to make it easier for the Commissioner or Notary to verify the number of pages.

6. Who are Commissioners for Oaths or Notaries?

Commissioners for Oaths/Notaries include the following:

• Those appointed under the Notaries and Commissioners Act
• Alberta lawyers and articling students in good standing with the Law Society of Alberta
• Judges of the Alberta courts, at any level
• Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (MLAs)
• Members of Parliament (MPs) from Alberta and members of the Senate of Canada who, when appointed, were resident in Alberta
• Municipal councillors and Metis settlement councillors
• School Board trustees
• Commissioned officers in the Canadian Forces on full-time service
• Police officers

7. Can someone else drop off my Signature Sheets?

Only if you have sworn or affirmed your Affidavit before a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public and it is included in your package.

8. What do I need to bring to the Petition Drop-Off Location?

Please bring your completed package with pages securely clipped together in this order (do not staple):

1. Canvasser ID badge [Only if this is your final submission as you cannot continue to collect signatures]
2. Completed Cover Sheet
3. Affidavit, whether sworn/affirm or needing to be sworn/affirmed at the drop-off location
4. Signature Sheets (number of pages must match the number reported on the Cover Sheet and Affidavit)

Note: Please bring government-issued photo identification if you need to swear/affirm your Affidavit in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public at the drop-off location.

9. What needs to be in my submission if I send it by registered mail?

Please send in your completed package with pages securely clipped together in this order (do not staple):

1. Canvasser ID badge [Only if this is your final submission as you cannot continue to collect signatures]
2. Completed Cover Sheet
3. Affidavit sworn or affirmed in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public
4. Signature Sheets (number of pages must match the number reported on the Cover Sheet and Affidavit)

10. What do I do if I have two-sided Signature Sheets witnessed by me on one side and by another canvasser on the other side?

If possible, contact the other canvasser and arrange to go to a petition drop off location at the same time so that you can each swear or affirm your Affidavit in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary with all of the Signature Sheets you witnessed. In this case, the submission package would include two Cover Sheets (one from each canvasser), two Affidavits (one from each canvasser), and the Signature Sheets from both canvassers.

If you are sending in your submission by mail, please arrange to meet a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public together as you both need the Signature Sheets that you witnessed when you swear or affirm your Affidavit.

If you can’t reach the other canvasser, please contact us at petitioncollection@forever-canadian.ca and we’ll try to help.