The 2014 Alberta New Democratic Party leadership election was prompted by Brian Mason's announcement on April 29, 2014 that he was resigning as leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party after a decade in the position.[3]
For the first time, rather than selecting the leader through a delegated convention, all NDP members were eligible to vote. A weighted voting system was used in which ballots cast by members were weighted to at least 80 per cent of the total, and votes from trade unions and other affiliated organizations were weighted at a maximum of 20 per cent.[1][4] To be nominated, a candidate had to obtain 50 signatures from party members and make a non-refundable $5,000 deposit.[2] Individuals could not donate more than $15,000 and contributions in excess of $100 were publicly reported. Candidates could not accept donations from publicly traded corporations with more than 100 employees.[5]
