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After more than two months of legal battles that put Alberta's citizen-led independence petition on ice, Elections Alberta has officially begun counting and verifying the signatures.

On Monday, Elections Alberta announced it has started the verification process for the citizen initiative petition titled "A Referendum Relating to Alberta Independence," following a June 29 ruling by the Alberta Court of Appeal that allowed the process to move ahead while the broader court challenge continues.

The petition, led by Mitch Sylvestre, seeks to ask Albertans a constitutional referendum question: "Do you agree that the Province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?"

Sylvestre delivered more than 301,000 signatures to Elections Alberta on May 4, far exceeding the 177,732 valid signatures required under Alberta's Citizen Initiative Act. However, the verification process was halted after a legal challenge brought by several Indigenous leaders, who argued the citizen initiative process failed to adequately consult Indigenous peoples before the petition was approved. The Court of King's Bench initially stayed the verification process and later quashed the petition, a decision Sylvestre has appealed. On June 29, the Alberta Court of Appeal issued a partial stay allowing Elections Alberta to proceed with verifying the signatures while the appeal continues.

Under the legislation, Elections Alberta has 21 days to verify the petition using statistical sampling methods designed to achieve a 95 percent confidence level. The agency will review petition sheets for compliance, ensure only original signatures were submitted, confirm signatories were eligible Alberta electors, verify canvasser requirements, and contact a random sample of signatories by phone, text message, or email to confirm they signed the petition.

The verification will also include an additional safeguard announced by Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure on May 1. Officials will check whether any of the "seeded" names placed on the Republican Party of Alberta's List of Electors appear on the petition. If they do, Elections Alberta says those portions of the petition will receive additional scrutiny.

Albertans who signed the petition are being asked to watch for text messages, phone calls, or emails from Elections Alberta over the next three weeks and respond if contacted. Elections Alberta says randomly selected signatories may receive a text message in advance of a verification call or an email requesting they confirm the information they provided on the petition.

Elections Alberta says it expects to publish the verification results no later than July 27.