Calendar · calendrier électoral
When
Canada votes.
Federal elections have a fixed date, the third Monday of October every four years, but the Governor General can still dissolve Parliament earlier on the Prime Minister's advice, and most elections since the law passed in 2007 have come early. The next fixed date is October 15, 2029, 1074 days away. Before that, six ridings vote on December 7, 2026.
Federal
Next on the
federal calendar.
- By-elections · December 7, 2026
Six ridings
Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie and Laurier—Sainte-Marie (Quebec); Scarborough North and Brantford—Brant South (Ontario); Yorkton—Melville (Saskatchewan).
- Writs issued
- November 1, 2026
- Nominations closed
- November 16, 2026
- Advance polls
- November 27 to November 30
- Special ballot deadline
- December 1, 6 pm
- General election · October 15, 2029
The fixed date
Section 56.1(2) of the Canada Elections Act: "the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year following polling day for the last general election". If that Monday clashes with a day of cultural or religious significance or a provincial or municipal election, the Chief Electoral Officer may recommend the Tuesday after or the following Monday, but not after August 1 of the election year (s.56.2).
The pre-election period, with spending limits on parties' partisan advertising and on third parties, starts on June 30, 2029.
- The outer limit · Charter s.4(1)
Five years
No House of Commons may continue more than five years from the date fixed for the return of the writs, except in "real or apprehended war, invasion or insurrection", and then only if no more than one-third of MPs vote against the extension (s.4(2)).
How a snap election works
Dissolution,
writ, polling day.
- 1 · Advice The Prime Minister asks
The Prime Minister advises the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. The fixed-date law expressly leaves that power untouched (s.56.1(1)). By convention, a government that loses a confidence vote resigns or seeks a dissolution.
- 2 · Proclamation Parliament is dissolved
The Governor in Council issues a proclamation for a general election: it fixes the day the writs are issued and polling day, the same for every riding (s.57(1), (2)).
- 3 · Writs 343 writs
The Chief Electoral Officer issues a writ to the returning officer of each riding (s.58). The election period runs from the writ to polling day.
- 4 · 36 to 50 days A Monday
Polling day must fall between the 36th and 50th day after the writ (s.57(1.2)(c)), on a Monday, or the Tuesday if that Monday is a holiday (s.57(3), (4)).
In 2025 Parliament was dissolved and the writs issued on March 23, 2025; polling day, April 28, 2025, was the 36th day, the earliest allowed. By-elections work the same way, on an order instead of a proclamation, issued 11 to 180 days after the Speaker's warrant for a vacancy reaches the Chief Electoral Officer; none is held for a vacancy arising less than nine months before the fixed date (Parliament of Canada Act s.31).
Writ-period calculator
If the writ
dropped today.
Pick the day the writs are issued. The calculator lists every Monday the Act allows and the deadlines that follow from the one you choose.
Legal polling days (36th to 50th day after the writ, a Monday)
- Polling day
- 2026-12-14
- Campaign length
- 38 days
- Nominations close, 2 pm · s.69, s.70
- 2026-11-23
- Advance polls, 9 am–9 pm · s.171(2)
- 2026-12-04 to 2026-12-07
- Vote by special ballot: apply by 6 pm · s.232
- 2026-12-08
A general election not on the fixed date moves to the Tuesday when its Monday is a holiday (s.57(4)), and every deadline is then counted from the Monday (s.57(5)). National holidays only; provincial and civic ones are not modelled.
Every level of government
Coming
up.
- Nov 6 to Nov 10, 2026 British Columbia final count provincial · British Columbia source ↗
- Nov 24, 2026 Northwest Territories by-election: Inuvik Twin Lakes territorial · Northwest Territories source ↗
- Dec 7, 2026 Six federal by-elections Six élections partielles fédérales Writs issued 1 November 2026 (36 days, the minimum, s.57(1.2)(c)); nominations closed 16 November; advance polls 27–30 November federal source ↗
- Oct 4, 2027 Prince Edward Island general election First Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Election Act s.4.1(2)) provincial · Prince Edward Island source ↗
- Oct 5, 2027 Manitoba general election First Tuesday of October in the fourth calendar year (Elections Act s.49.1(2)) provincial · Manitoba source ↗
- Oct 5, 2027 Northwest Territories general election Fixed date announced by Elections NWT (statutory wording not checked) territorial · Northwest Territories date not confirmed source ↗
- Oct 18, 2027 Alberta general election Third Monday of October (Election Act s.38.1(2)) provincial · Alberta source ↗
- Oct 25, 2027 Iqaluit municipal election municipal · Nunavut secondary source source ↗
- Oct 16, 2028 New Brunswick general election Third Monday of October in the fourth year (Legislative Assembly Act s.3(4)) provincial · New Brunswick source ↗
- Oct 19, 2028 Yukon municipal elections municipal · Yukon secondary source source ↗
- Oct 21, 2028 Nova Scotia municipal elections municipal · Nova Scotia secondary source source ↗
- Oct 30, 2028 Saskatchewan general election Last Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Legislative Assembly Act, 2007) provincial · Saskatchewan source ↗
- Nov 8, 2028 Saskatchewan municipal elections municipal · Saskatchewan secondary source source ↗
- Jun 30, 2029 Federal pre-election period begins From 30 June of the fixed-date year: spending limits on parties' partisan advertising and on third parties (s.2, s.349.1, s.429.1) federal source ↗
- Sep 25, 2029 Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections municipal · Newfoundland and Labrador secondary source source ↗
- Oct 15, 2029 Federal general election (fixed date) Élection générale fédérale (date fixe) Third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year after the last general election (s.56.1(2)); the Governor General may dissolve Parliament earlier (s.56.1(1)) federal source ↗
- Oct 15, 2029 Alberta municipal elections Third Monday of October every four years (Local Authorities Election Act s.11) municipal · Alberta source ↗
- Oct 29, 2029 Nunavut general election Last Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Nunavut Elections Act s.36(3.1)) territorial · Nunavut source ↗
- Nov 4, 2029 Quebec municipal elections Élections municipales au Québec municipal · Quebec secondary source source ↗
- Nov 5, 2029 Yukon general election First Monday of November in the fourth year (Elections Act s.50.01) territorial · Yukon secondary source source ↗
- Nov 26, 2029 Newfoundland and Labrador general election Second Tuesday of October in the fourth year (9 October 2029), moved when it would overlap a federal campaign (House of Assembly Act s.3(4)–(5)) provincial · Newfoundland and Labrador date not confirmed source ↗
- Due by 2029-11 Nova Scotia general election No fixed date: the fixed-date section (Elections Act s.29A) was repealed on 26 March 2025; due within five years of the last return of writs (Charter s.4(1)) provincial · Nova Scotia secondary source source ↗
- Due by 2030-03 Ontario general election No fixed date: Election Act s.9 repealed (in force 27 November 2025); due within five years (Charter s.4(1)) provincial · Ontario source ↗
- Oct 7, 2030 Quebec general election Élection générale au Québec First Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Loi électorale, E-3.3, art. 129) provincial · Quebec source ↗
- Due by 2030-10 British Columbia general election Third Saturday of October in the fourth year (Constitution Act s.23), which would be 19 October 2030, the same day as local elections, so cabinet sets another date provincial · British Columbia source ↗
Provinces and territories
Thirteen
election laws.
Every province and territory runs its own elections under its own act and agency. Most have fixed dates, all of them subject to an early dissolution. Ontario and Nova Scotia repealed theirs in 2025, and British Columbia went to the polls two years early in October 2026.
| Province or territory | Last | Next | How the date is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador | Oct 14, 2025 | Nov 26, 2029 unconfirmed | Second Tuesday of October in the fourth year (9 October 2029), moved when it would overlap a federal campaign (House of Assembly Act s.3(4)–(5)) |
| Prince Edward Island Île-du-Prince-Édouard | — | Oct 4, 2027 | First Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Election Act s.4.1(2)) |
| Nova Scotia Nouvelle-Écosse | — | by 2029-11 | No fixed date: the fixed-date section (Elections Act s.29A) was repealed on 26 March 2025; due within five years of the last return of writs (Charter s.4(1)) |
| New Brunswick Nouveau-Brunswick | — | Oct 16, 2028 | Third Monday of October in the fourth year (Legislative Assembly Act s.3(4)) |
| Quebec Québec | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 7, 2030 | First Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Loi électorale, E-3.3, art. 129) |
| Ontario | — | by 2030-03 | No fixed date: Election Act s.9 repealed (in force 27 November 2025); due within five years (Charter s.4(1)) |
| Manitoba | — | Oct 5, 2027 | First Tuesday of October in the fourth calendar year (Elections Act s.49.1(2)) |
| Saskatchewan | — | Oct 30, 2028 | Last Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Legislative Assembly Act, 2007) |
| Alberta | — | Oct 18, 2027 | Third Monday of October (Election Act s.38.1(2)) |
| British Columbia Colombie-Britannique | Oct 24, 2026 | by 2030-10 | Third Saturday of October in the fourth year (Constitution Act s.23), which would be 19 October 2030, the same day as local elections, so cabinet sets another date |
| Yukon | Nov 3, 2025 | Nov 5, 2029 | First Monday of November in the fourth year (Elections Act s.50.01) |
| Northwest Territories Territoires du Nord-Ouest | — | Oct 5, 2027 unconfirmed | Fixed date announced by Elections NWT (statutory wording not checked) |
| Nunavut | Oct 27, 2025 | Oct 29, 2029 | Last Monday of October in the fourth calendar year (Nunavut Elections Act s.36(3.1)) |
Last elections before 2025 (Alberta 2023, Manitoba 2023, PEI 2023, Northwest Territories 2023, Saskatchewan 2024, New Brunswick 2024, Nova Scotia 2024) are on the provinces page →
Municipal
Councils, mayors
and school boards.
Municipalities are creatures of the provinces (Constitution Act, 1867, s.92(8)), so each province sets its own local election day, mostly every four years in the autumn. Most 2025–26 municipal results are the cities' unofficial counts.
- October 25, 2027 Iqaluit municipal election
- October 19, 2028 Yukon municipal elections
- October 21, 2028 Nova Scotia municipal elections
- November 8, 2028 Saskatchewan municipal elections
- September 25, 2029 Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections
- October 15, 2029 Alberta municipal elections Third Monday of October every four years (Local Authorities Election Act s.11)
- November 4, 2029 Quebec municipal elections
Recently held: Prince Edward Island (Nov 2, 2026: Charlottetown: Amir Zuccolo); Manitoba (Oct 28, 2026: Winnipeg: Scott Gillingham); Ontario (Oct 26, 2026: Toronto: Olivia Chow re-elected (unofficial)); British Columbia (Oct 17, 2026: Vancouver: Pete Fry); New Brunswick (May 11, 2026).
The Senate · le Sénat
Appointed,
never elected.
Senators are summoned by the Governor General on the Prime Minister's advice and sit until 75 (Constitution Act, 1867, ss.24, 29(2)). Since 2016 the Prime Minister chooses from names put forward by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, after an open application process.
On November 6, 2026, 13 of 105 seats were vacant: British Columbia 1, Manitoba 1, Newfoundland and Labrador 1, Nova Scotia 1, Ontario 3, Quebec 4, Saskatchewan 2.
- July 9, 2026 Rodney Ouellette New Brunswick
- July 9, 2026 Geeta Tucker Manitoba
- July 24, 2026 Richard Martel Quebec; a former Conservative MP; sits with the Conservative caucus
- September 18, 2026 Thomas Pitfield Quebec
Polling day · jour du scrutin
Polls close
across six zones.
Voting hours are staggered so that most of the country closes within the same hour: polls close at 9:30 pm in the East and 7:00 pm on the Pacific coast. Results can be published as they are counted. New opinion polls cannot be published in a riding on polling day until its polls close (s.328(2)), so this site freezes polls, averages and market prices from midnight on polling day until the last poll closes.
| Zone | Local | Polls close (Eastern) | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland | 8:30 am to 8:30 pm | 7:00 pm ET | s.128(1)(a) |
| Atlantic | 8:30 am to 8:30 pm | 7:30 pm ET | s.128(1)(a) |
| Eastern | 9:30 am to 9:30 pm | 9:30 pm ET | s.128(1)(b) |
| Central (Manitoba) | 8:30 am to 8:30 pm | 9:30 pm ET | s.128(1)(a) |
| Saskatchewan | 7:30 am to 7:30 pm | 9:30 pm ET | s.128(2)(a) |
| Mountain | 7:30 am to 7:30 pm | 9:30 pm ET | s.128(1)(c) |
| Pacific | 7:00 am to 7:00 pm | 10:00 pm ET | s.128(1)(d) |
- General election, October 15, 2029 10:30 pm ET on October 14 to 10:00 pm ET From midnight in Newfoundland to the last close in British Columbia and Yukon.
- By-elections, December 7, 2026 Midnight to 9:30 pm ET Only in the 6 ridings voting: Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, Scarborough North, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Yorkton—Melville, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations.
Recently held
The last
eighteen months.
- Nov 2, 2026 Prince Edward Island municipal elections Charlottetown: Amir Zuccolo
- Oct 28, 2026 Manitoba municipal elections Winnipeg: Scott Gillingham
- Oct 26, 2026 Ontario municipal elections Toronto: Olivia Chow re-elected (unofficial)
- Oct 24, 2026 British Columbia general election (snap) Initial count: Conservative 63, NDP 28, Green 2 of 93; Lorne Doerkson premier-designate
- Oct 19, 2026 Alberta referendum (ten questions) Question 10: remain a province 74.9%, start a separation process 25.1%
- Oct 17, 2026 British Columbia local elections Vancouver: Pete Fry
- Oct 5, 2026 Quebec general election Parti québécois minority, 60 of 127; Paul St-Pierre Plamondon premier; CAQ shut out
- Aug 31, 2026 Federal by-elections: Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, Beaches—East York, North Vancouver—Capilano Liberal wins in all three, including a gain from the Conservatives in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord
- May 11, 2026 New Brunswick local elections
- Apr 13, 2026 Federal by-elections: Terrebonne, Scarborough Southwest, University—Rosedale Liberal wins in all three; the Liberals reach 172, a majority
- Mar 29, 2026 NDP leadership vote Avi Lewis elected on the first ballot
- Nov 3, 2025 Yukon general election Yukon Party majority (14 of 21): Currie Dixon premier