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Results and statistics

Statistics on general elections held since 1867

Summary

Since 1867, there have been 43 general elections.

In this section

Candidates

  • The first female candidate, Mrs. Dennis James (Mae) O’Connor, ran in the by-election of July 23, 1947, in the electoral district of Huntingdon. In the 1948 general election, two women ran: Présille Beaulieu in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine electoral division and Beulah Devlin Grace in Westmount-Saint-Georges electoral division.
  • Claire Kirkland Casgrain was the first woman to be elected to the National Assembly in the by-election of December 14, 1961, in the electoral division of Jacques-Cartier. She was re-elected in the 1962 general election in the same division.
Year Male candidates on polling day Female candidates on polling day Total number of candidates on polling day Elected candidates
1867 112   112  
1871 110   110  
1875 119   119  
1878 129   129  
1881 117   117  
1886 132   132  
1890 139   139  
1892 139   139  
1897 149   149  
1900 114   114  
1904 117   117  
1908 151   151  
1912 169   169  
1916 142   142  
1919 134   134  
1923 179   179  
1927 167   167  
1931 196   196  
1935 204   204  
1936 205   205  
1939 248   248  
1944 333   333  
1948 309 2 311  
1952 233 3 236  
1956 265 7 272  
1960 253 0 253  
1962 221 3 224 1
1966 407 11 418 1
1970 457 9 466 1
1973 453 26 479 1
1976 508 48 556 5
1981 441 84 525 8
1985 532 134 666 18
1989 436 121 557 23
1994 542 138 680 23
1998 515 142 657 29
2003 473 173 646 38
2007 467 212 679 32
2008 449 202 651 37
2012 638 254 892 41
2014 573 241 814 34
2018 565 375 940 53
2022 499 381 880 58

Voter turnout

  • No ballots were used in the 1867 and 1871 elections.
  • Voter turnout for the years 1867 and 1871 was established by calculating the number of votes in relation to the number of registered voters. For subsequent years, voter turnout was established by calculating the total number of votes cast (valid ballots and rejected ballots) in relation to the number of registered electors.
  • For the 1927 election and previous elections, the calculation of voter turnout included all electoral divisions, even those where a victory by acclamation. This significantly reduced voter turnout.
  • The right to vote was granted to persons 18 years of age and over by an Act passed on July 10, 1963 (1963, c. 13). These people were able to exercise their right to vote for the first time in the by-elections held on October 5, 1964 and on June 5, 1966 in a general election.
  • Women were granted the right to vote and to run for election by an Act passed on April 25, 1940 (1940, c. 7). They first exercised their right to vote in the by-elections of October 6, 1941, and on August 8, 1944, in a general election. This explains the sharp increase in the number of registered voters.
Years Registered voters Valid ballots Rejected ballots Voter turnout (%)
1867 161,642 75,715   46.84
1871 172,369 60,266   34.96
1875 185,783 87,487 1,149 47.70
1878 217,825 137,475 1,755 63.91
1881 223,221 97,559 1,854 44.53
1886 234,844 147,525 2,699 63.96
1890 276,641 158,932 2,034 58.18
1892 294,335 174,751 1,771 59.97
1897 338,800 225,779 2,393 67.34
1900 350,517 103,402 980 29.77
1904 381,933 113,453 1,013 29.97
1908 415,801 244,839 3,222 59.65
1912 479,521 291,292 3,378 61.45
1916 485,936 208,452 2,767 43.46
1919 480,120 129,636 1,448 27.30
1923 513,224 290,649 3,768 57.36
1927 569,018 318,012 2,843 56.38
1931 641,323 489,695 4,190 77.01
1935 726,551 536,361 15,232 75.91
1936 734,025 569,325 4,930 78.23
1939 753,310 563,297 7,334 75.74
1944 1,865,396 1,329,959 15,591 72.13
1948 2,036,576 1,513,825 17,928 75.21
1952 2,246,998 1,679,119 25,648 75.86
1956 2,393,360 1,845,729 28,781 78.32
1960 2,608,439 2,096,586 33,521 81.66
1962 2,721,783 2,136,966 29,509 79.59
1966 3,222,302 2,324,829 45,681 73.56
1970 3,478,578 2,872,970 57,029 84.23
1973 3,764,111 2,970,978 54,760 80.38
1976 4,023,743 3,360,506 70,446 85.27
1981 4,410,880 3,600,097 38,523 82.49
1985 4,579,921 3,411,607 52,625 75.64
1989 4,670,690 3,408,909 92,159 74.95
1994 4,893,465 3,913,789 78,239 81.58
1998 5,254,482 4,068,472 46,691 78.32
2003 5,490,551 3,817,764 48,484 70.42
2007 5,630,567 3,970,618 40,078 71.23
2008 5,738,811 3,246,333 49,581 57.43
2012 5,919,808 4,362,688 53,749 74.60
2014 6,012,440 4,232,262 62,793 71.44
2018 6,169,772 4,033,538 66,085 66.45
2022 6,302,789 4,112,821 56,316 66.15

Date

Year Poll Proclamation dissolving the legislature Issuance of the writ of election and order in council (1981) Nomination deadline
1867 August and September   August 8 August and September
1871 June and July May 27 May 29 June and July
1875 July 7 June 7 June 7 June 30
1878 May 1 March 22 March 23 April 24
1881 December 2 November 7 November 8 November 25
1886 October 14 September 9 September 9 October 7
1890 June 17 May 9 May 16 June 10
1892 March 8 December 22, 1891 December 23, 1891 March 1
1897 May 11 February 27 February 27 May 4
1900 December 7 November 14 November 15 November 30
1904 November 25 November 4 November 4 November 18
1908 June 8 May 6 May 6 June 1
1912 May 15 April 15 April 15 May 8
1916 May 22 April 14 April 14 May 16
1919 June 23 May 22 May 23 June 16
1923 February 5 January 10 January 11 January 29
1927 May 16 April 19 April 19 May 9
1931 August 24 July 30 July 31 August 17
1935 November 25 October 30 October 30 November 18
1936 August 17 June 11 July 10 August 10
1939 October 25 September 23 September 23 October 18
1944 August 8 June 29 June 29 August 1
1948 July 28 June 9 June 9 July 21
1952 July 16 May 28 May 28 July 9
1956 June 20 April 25 April 25 June 6
1960 June 22 April 27 April 27 June 8
1962 November 14 September 19 September 19 October 31
1966 June 5 April 18 April 18 May 22
1970 April 29 March 12 March 12 April 15
1973 October 29 September 25 September 25 October 15
1976 November 15 October 18 October 18 November 1
1981 April 13 March 12 March 12 March 28
1985 December 2 October 23 October 23 November 16
1989 September 25 August 9 August 9 September 9
1994 September 12 July 24 July 24 August 27
1998 November 30 October 28 October 28 November 14
2003 April 14 March 12 March 12 March 29
2007 March 26 February 21 February 21 March 10
2008 December 8 November 5 November 5 November 22
2012 September 4 August 1 August 1 August 18
2014 April 7 March 5 March 5 March 22
2018 October 1 August 23 August 23 September 15
2022 October 3 August 28 August 28 September 17

Electoral divisions and elections

  • From 1890 to 1944, the number of representatives in relation to the number of electoral divisions appears.
Year Electoral divisions Elections by acclamation Elections by poll Ordinary polling stations Average number of voters registered by electoral division
1867 65 19 45 402 2,487
1871 65 27 38 382 2,652
1875 65 19 46 753 2,858
1878 65 5 60 1,252 3,351
1881 65 17 48 980 3,434
1886 65 7 58 1,400 3,613
1890 74/75 11 62 1,806 3,790
1892 74/75 11 62 1,953 4,032
1897 74/75 2 72 2,370 4,578
1900 74/75 36 38 1,158 4,736
1904 74/75 38 36 1,471 5,161
1908 74/75 6 68 2,605 5,619
1912 81/82 1 80 3,087 5,920
1916 81/82 26 55 2,524 5,999
1919 81/82 45 36 1,984 5,927
1923 85/86 8 77 3,532 6,038
1927 85/86 12 73 3,816 6,694
1931 90/91 0 90 4,653 7,126
1935 90/91 3 87 4,977 8,073
1936 90/91 0 90 5,013 8,156
1939 86/87 1 85 4,933 8,759
1944 91/92 0 91 8,511 20,499
1948 92 0 92 9,449 22,137
1952 92 0 92 10,605 24,423
1956 93 0 93 11,826 25,735
1960 95 0 95 13,502 27,457
1962 95 0 95 13,901 28,650
1966 108 0 108 16,277 29,836
1970 108 0 108 17,192 32,209
1973 110 0 110 19,038 34,219
1976 110  0 110 19,859 36,579
1981 122 0 122 20,567 36,155
1985 122 0 122 20,225 37,540
1989 125 0 125 21,905 37,366
1994 125 0 125 20,687 39,148
1998 125 0 125 21,546 42,036
2003 125 0 125 19,364 43,924
2007 125 0 125 21,466 45,044
2008 125 0 125 21,315 45,910
2012 125 0 125 19,680 47,358
2014 125 0 125 17,592 48,100
2018 125 0 125 16,480 49,358
2022 125 0 125 16,895 50,422

Note:

  • A new election was held due to a tie in the electoral divisions of Saint-Jean in 1994 and Champlain in 2003. The figures reflect the data from the new elections held in each of these electoral divisions.
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