Major Changes Coming to Canada’s Federal Election Map by 2024, Says Chief Electoral Officer

Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault waits for the Procedure and House Affairs committee to begin, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 2, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Elections Canada will be introducing major changes to the country’s federal election map later this year and expects they will be implemented in early 2024, Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault recently told a House of Commons committee.

As part of the changes, Elections Canada will be redistributing a number of federal ridings’ boundaries that will see the Toronto area lose one of its seats while Alberta will gain three and British Columbia will gain one, Perrault said, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“A representation order with a new map of federal boundaries is expected to be proclaimed early this fall,” Perrault told the Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on May 18.

He added that Elections Canada will then have seven months after introducing the new map to prepare for Canada’s next general election using the new boundaries.

However, Perrault told the committee that if a federal snap election is called before that seven-month period is up, then it would take place under the old map.

“In the spring of 2024, if no election has been called during the seven-month period after the proclamation of the representation order, we will need, at that point, to be able to pivot overnight and be ready to hold an election based on the new map, should one be called,” Perrault said.

Since January, the Commons House Affairs committee has been studying federal seat redistribution under the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, which will increase total seat numbers in the House of Commons from 338 to 343.

Redistribution changes proposed by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission would see Toronto’s seats decrease from 25 to 24 by eliminating the Scarborough-Agincourt riding, currently held by Liberal MP Jean Yip.

The commission also proposed adding three new ridings in Alberta and one in B.C.

Electoral Changes

While appearing before the House Affairs committee on May 18, Perrault acknowledged that redistributing House of Commons seats “creates uncertainty and challenges for political parties” and for MPs’ “electoral district associations as they prepare for the next election.”

Perrault said Elections Canada will “support” parties and individual MPs “as they too realign themselves with the new boundaries, moving money and closing off old district associations.”

Perrault added during the same committee meeting that Elections Canada will be moving forward with a pilot plan to introduce an electronic voting list for federal elections.

The electronic list will allow voters to submit their ballots remotely to Elections Canada from any location.

“We plan to introduce electronic lists in a way that is prudent and gradual, ensuring at all times the security and reliability of the voting process,” Perrault told the committee.

Andrew Chen contributed to this report.