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A Federal Seat is Vacant in Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel

News Release

Gatineau, Friday, February 1, 2019

  • On January 30, 2019, the Chief Electoral Officer, Stéphane Perrault, received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel (Quebec) is vacant.
  • This vacancy occurred less than nine months of a fixed-date general election. Therefore, no by-election will be held for Saint-Léonard–Saint-Michel before the general election date, which was fixed under the Canada Elections Act for October 21, 2019.
  • The Elections Modernization Act received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018. It includes an amendment to the Parliament of Canada Act that prohibits by-elections for vacancies that occur less than nine months before a fixed-date general election. That amendment, along with a number of others, came into force on January 19, 2019, via a notice by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in the Canada Gazette.

Quick facts about Bill C-76

  • Bill C-76, known as the Elections Modernization Act, received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018. The Act will come into force on June 13, 2019. However, it authorizes the CEO to bring provisions into force earlier, if the agency is prepared to implement those provisions.
  • Elections Canada is operationally ready to implement a number of provisions. On January 19, 2019, we published a notice in the Canada Gazette about several provisions, all of which came into force on that date.
  • The timing of by-elections is one of those provisions.

Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament.

Information:
Elections Canada Media Relations
1-877-877-9515
elections.ca

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