Alberta PCs say membership drive on unity vote nets 50,000-plus members

Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives say more than 50,000 people have signed up to vote on a proposal to merge with the Wildrose party.

PC association president Len Thom says that number could go higher in the next day or so as they finish verifying the memberships.

READ MORE: What an Alberta PC-Wildrose merger could mean for Rachel Notley’s NDP

“In the last few days we received a deluge of new membership applications, which our amazing team of volunteers is still processing,” PC leader Jason Kenney said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “We do not yet have a final count, but we estimate that some 18,000 Albertans have joined the PC Party since the unity agreement was signed on May 18.”

The membership guarantees the cardholder will be able to vote electronically over three days starting July 20.

The results will be announced July 22 — the same day Wildrose announces the results of its unity vote.

READ MORE: Alberta PCs, Wildrose unveil plans to merge, create United Conservative Party

A majority of PC members are needed to ratify the unity plan while more than 75 per cent of Wildrose members have to sign off on it.

READ MORE: Alberta Progressive Conservative members vote in July on fate of party 

The Wildrose says more than 40,000 have bought memberships to vote.

-With files from Phil Heidenreich.