Elections Canada Chief Resists Changing Election Date Due to ‘Unique Challenges’ in Nunavut Election
Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault expressed his opposition to a proposed amendment to legislation that would push back the date of the next federal election by a week, citing concerns about potential interference with Nunavut’s territorial election.
Speaking at the House Affairs committee on Nov. 21, Perrault highlighted the challenges that the amendment to Bill C-65, An Act To Amend The Canada Elections Act, would pose for the Nunavut election scheduled for Oct. 27, 2025. The proposed provision in the bill aimed to shift the date of the next federal election from Oct. 20, 2025, to Oct. 27, 2025.
He stated, “The date stipulated in the bill would create conflicts with the territorial election in Nunavut, which comes with specific challenges in terms of recruiting election officers and securing polling locations. This could potentially jeopardize our ability to effectively serve electors in that region. Hence, I do not endorse the alteration of the election date.”
Perrault expressed his support for various other provisions in Bill C-65, including regulations to limit foreign funding of third parties, initiatives to eliminate barriers for certain groups of electors, the formalization of Elections Canada’s “vote on campus” service, and the reduction of the required number of signatures for nominations from 100 to 75. He suggested that the committee consider enhancements to ballot accessibility measures and adopt measures to ban generative and deepfake AI that could be exploited by foreign adversaries to undermine public confidence in elections.
While Section 1 of the Canada Elections Act mandates that elections must be held on the third Monday of October, the Liberals proposed the date change to accommodate communities celebrating the Diwali holiday. In 2019, the election coincided with the Jewish holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, but Perrault chose not to change the date at that time due to potential implications on Elections Canada’s ability to provide accessible voting services nationwide.
During the committee session, Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc testified on Nov. 7, indicating the government’s willingness to omit the provision altering the election date from the bill. He clarified that the final decision would rest with the committee members.
Changing Election Date
Several Conservative and Bloc MPs quizzed Perrault during the meeting about meetings that occurred on Jan. 25 and March 30 between representatives from the NDP, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Elections Canada, and LeBlanc’s office to discuss the bill’s introduction. Conservatives engaged with Perrault on Feb. 20, while Bloc representatives met with him on Feb. 28.
Conservative MP Eric Duncan questioned Perrault about any additional meetings with the NDP before the bill’s announcement. Perrault asserted that he communicated the same information to all parties and did not partake in drafting the bill.
Conservative MP Michael Cooper, who met with Perrault on Feb. 20, sought clarification about the absence of PMO representatives at the meetings between Elections Canada and the NDP. When confirmed by Perrault, Cooper remarked that it seemed like a different kind of meeting compared to those held with the Conservatives and Bloc.
Bloc MP Marie-Hélène Gaudreau expressed concerns that the Liberals were prioritizing the interests of their MPs by delaying the election date. Perrault refrained from speculating on their intentions and emphasized that there is no ideal election date.
“I encourage lawmakers to maintain the current plan without altering the date and to allow the chief electoral officer to suggest changes if deemed necessary,” he remarked.
During the discussion, NDP MP Lindsay Mathyssen announced her party’s intention to propose an amendment reverting the election date to its original schedule.
