Under the Canadian Constitution, general elections are to be held at least once every five years. Traditionally, under a parliamentary system of government, general elections are called at the discretion of the prime minister, although they may be held at any time if the government loses the confidence of the legislature. This can be contrasted with congressional systems of government, where elections are held on set dates, as well as municipal governments in Canada, which are generally elected for a fixed term of office. In recent years, there have been calls for more predictable election dates for federal, provincial and territorial legislatures, and for restrictions on a government’s advantage in calling elections when it is most politically advantageous for them to do so.

The intent of fixed-date election legislation is to create a regular cycle of planned general elections, with specific, predictable election dates and a fixed term for the legislature. Beginning with British Columbia in 2001, a total of eight Canadian provinces and territories have passed laws calling for fixed-date elections. In 2007, the Parliament of Canada passed a law which introduced fixed-date elections at the federal level. All of the Canadian statutes provide for general elections every four years. However, elections can still be held earlier if the government loses the confidence of the legislature, and nothing restricts the royal prerogative of dissolution.

By-elections to fill empty seats in the legislature are not affected by the introduction of fixed-date elections, and continue to be held between the dates of general elections as required.

Find out which Canadian jurisdictions have passed laws introducing fixed-date elections, the name of the Statute in which these measures are described, and the date on which the first fixed-date election was or will be held in each of these jurisdictions.