Federal By-Elections in 2026 Could Cost Taxpayers Upwards of $24-Million
Elections Canada estimates that federal by-elections in 2026 will cost taxpayers upwards of $24-million, driven by an unusually high number of House of Commons vacancies that could make this the busiest year for by-elections since 1978.
A by-election is a contest held in a single riding to fill a seat left vacant when an MP resigns or dies before the next general election. Three federal by-elections have already been held in Canada in 2026, with three more scheduled for August 31. One Quebec seat remains vacant with no by-election called, and Elections Canada expects five additional MP resignations, which would bring the potential total for the year to 12. That would be the highest annual count since 15 by-elections were held in 1978. The figures were reported by The Globe and Mail on August 10, 2026.
For context, the last comparable year was 2017, when 11 by-elections cost approximately $10-million, according to Elections Canada. The agency says a single federal by-election costs an average of $2-million to run. Costs vary by region: Elections Canada reports it typically costs more to hold by-elections in the Greater Toronto Area due to higher prices for facility rentals and advertising.
The by-election spending sits against the backdrop of a full general election cycle. Elections Canada's revised estimated cost of delivering the 45th federal general election, as of March 2026, is $602.5-million, or approximately $20.97 per elector (Elections Canada). In the first three quarters of the 2025-26 fiscal year, Elections Canada's budgetary expenditures totalled $640.9-million, compared with $186.0-million in the same period of 2024-25, reflecting the cost of conducting the general election that took place in 2025 (Elections Canada).
Elections Canada estimates $298.6-million in expenses for 2026-27, a decrease of $498.2-million from the 2025-26 forecast results (Elections Canada). The agency's planned spending for the 2026-2027 fiscal year is $205.2-million (Elections Canada). The by-election costs are drawn from within this post-election fiscal framework, in which the agency's budget contracts substantially from general-election-year levels but must still accommodate an above-average volume of constituency-level contests.
Jonathan Malloy, a political-science professor at Carleton University, said he suspects the high number of MP resignations is linked to people being caught off-guard by the 2025 election that left the Liberals in power. The implication is that some MPs who had planned to depart on their own timeline were forced to accelerate decisions when the general election was called, creating a cascade of vacancies in its aftermath.
Dennis Pilon, a political-science professor at York University, said he suspects Canadians have mixed views on the number of by-elections. The cost of administering democracy at the riding level is a visible line item, but by-elections also serve the basic function of representation: constituents in vacant seats go without a voice in the House of Commons until a replacement is elected.
The broader context here is one of fiscal transition at Elections Canada. The agency is the independent, non-partisan body responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums in Canada. Its spending profile swings sharply between general-election years and the inter-election period, and 2026 sits in an unusual position: the heavy costs of the 45th general election have receded, but the volume of by-elections is filling some of that gap. Whether the projected $24-million in by-election costs holds will depend on how many of the anticipated resignations materialize and whether the remaining Quebec vacancy is filled by writ. If all 12 contests proceed, the per-by-election cost would average roughly $2-million, consistent with Elections Canada's longstanding benchmark, but the aggregate would still be more than double what the comparable 2017 cycle required.
For practitioners tracking the electoral calendar, the August 31 contests and any subsequent writs will determine whether 2026 reaches its projected ceiling. The riding-level machinery of returning officers, poll workers, and facility leases does not scale down simply because turnout in by-elections is typically lower than in general elections. Fixed costs dominate the per-event budget, which is why the GTA premium persists regardless of voter participation.
