When elections happen

Canada has fixed election dates, but a fixed date is a latest-by date, not a guarantee. This lesson explains when each level votes, how an election can come early, and how long a campaign lasts. It uses British Columbia as the example.

BC is voting early. The provincial general election was called on September 22, 2026, with final voting day on October 24, 2026.¹ BC’s general local elections are separate and still on their fixed date, October 17, 2026.²

Federal: a fixed date that can move up

Since 2007, the Canada Elections Act sets a fixed date for federal general elections: the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year after the last one.³ The last federal general election was on April 28, 2025.⁴ That puts the next fixed date on October 15, 2029.

The same law says nothing in it limits the Governor General’s power to dissolve Parliament.³ So an election can still come sooner, in two main ways:

The Prime Minister asks for one. General elections are called when the Governor General dissolves Parliament on the Prime Minister’s advice.⁴
The government loses a confidence vote. If the House of Commons defeats the government on a question of confidence, the government is expected to resign or ask for an election.⁵ This is more likely when no party holds a majority of seats.

Either way, there’s an outer limit. No House of Commons or provincial legislature can sit for more than five years from the return of the writs after its election.⁶

How long a federal campaign lasts

Once an election is called, voting day must fall between the 36th and 50th day after the writs are issued, and it’s normally a Monday.⁷ Elections Canada describes this as an election period of 37 to 51 days.⁴

BC provincial: the same idea, on a Saturday

BC’s Constitution Act sets final voting day on the third Saturday in October, in the fourth calendar year after the last general election. That rule is subject to the Lieutenant Governor’s power to dissolve the legislature at any time.⁸

The last BC general election was on October 19, 2024.⁹ On the fixed-date schedule, the next one would have been in October 2028. Instead, the current election was called on September 22, 2026, with final voting day on October 24, 2026.¹ Voters will elect all 93 MLAs.¹

How long a BC campaign lasts

The campaign period runs from the day the election is called to the close of voting.¹⁰ BC sets its length by the type of election:¹⁰

Fixed-date general election: final voting day is the 28th day after the call.
Any other general election: final voting day is between the 32nd and 38th day after the call.

Both kinds end on a Saturday. This year’s campaign runs 32 days, from September 22 to October 24.¹

BC local: every four years, same Saturday

General local elections in BC are held every four years on the third Saturday in October. The next one is on October 17, 2026.² You elect your mayor and council (or regional district director) and school trustees on the same ballot. See Three levels, three ballots for who does what.

For 2026, nominations closed on September 11 and the campaign period began on September 19.²

By-elections

A by-election fills one empty seat between general elections, usually after a member resigns or dies.¹¹

Federal: the writ must be issued between the 11th and 180th day after Elections Canada is notified of the vacancy. No by-election is held for a seat that opens up less than nine months before a fixed-date general election.¹²
BC provincial: the writ must be issued within six months after Elections BC receives the Speaker’s warrant,¹¹ and voting day is the 28th day after the call.¹⁰

If a general election is called while a BC by-election is under way, the by-election is cancelled and that riding votes in the general election instead.¹⁰ That just happened: calling the 2026 general election cancelled the Abbotsford-Mission by-election. Ballots already cast there won’t count, so those voters need to vote again.¹

At a glance

Level	Fixed-date rule	Campaign length	Next voting day
Federal	Third Monday in October, fourth year after the last election	36–50 days after the call	October 15, 2029, unless called sooner
BC provincial	Third Saturday in October, fourth year after the last election	28 days (fixed date) or 32–38 days (early)	October 24, 2026
BC local	Third Saturday in October, every four years	Campaign period began September 19, 2026	October 17, 2026

Elsewhere

Ontario: municipal council and school board elections are on Monday, October 26, 2026.¹³ Your provincial election agency or the provincial government lists the dates for your province.

Official sources

Elections BC, 2026 Provincial Election key dates, and news release “Writs issued for British Columbia’s 44th provincial general election.” ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Elections BC, 2026 General Local Elections key dates, and the BC government’s general local elections page. ↩ ↩² ↩³
Canada Elections Act, s. 56.1. Subsection (1) preserves the Governor General’s power to dissolve Parliament; subsection (2) sets the fixed date. Under s. 56.2, Elections Canada can recommend moving a fixed date to the next Tuesday or the following Monday if the date conflicts with, for example, a day of cultural or religious significance. ↩ ↩²
Elections Canada, FAQs on elections. The April 28, 2025 election was Canada’s 45th general election. ↩ ↩² ↩³
House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Third Edition, “The Confidence Convention.” ↩
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s. 4(1). Section 4(2) allows an extension only in time of war, invasion or insurrection. ↩
Canada Elections Act, s. 57(1.2)(c) and s. 57(3). If that Monday is a holiday in an early election, voting moves to the Tuesday. ↩
Constitution Act (BC), s. 23(1) and (2). ↩
Elections BC, Statement of Votes for the 43rd Provincial General Election, October 19, 2024. ↩
Election Act (BC), s. 1 (definition of “campaign period”), s. 24(2) (by-election cancelled by a general election) and s. 27 (final voting day). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
Constitution Act (BC), s. 35(1) (vacancies, including death and resignation) and s. 35(4) (timing). ↩ ↩²
Parliament of Canada Act, s. 31(1) and (1.1). Elections Canada’s FAQs describe the same limits. ↩
Government of Ontario, Municipal elections. ↩