The list of British Columbia by-elections includes every

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

held in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. By-elections occur whenever there is a vacancy in the Legislative Assembly, although an imminent

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

may allow the vacancy to remain until the

dissolution of parliament The dissolution of a legislative assembly is the mandatory simultaneous resignation of all of its members, in anticipation that a successive legislative assembly will reconvene later with possibly different members. In a democracy, the new assemb ...

. The most recent by-election took place on January 30, 2019, in the provincial electoral district of Nanaimo.

Causes

A by-election occurs whenever there is a vacancy in the Legislative Assembly. Vacancies can occur for the following reasons: * Death of a member. The last time a sitting MLA died was Fred Gingell in 1999. In addition, elected MLA's sometimes die before taking their seats. The last time this happened was in 1924 when John McKie died before the first session. * Resignation of a member. *

Recall Recall may refer to: * Recall (bugle call), a signal to stop * Recall (information retrieval), a statistical measure * ''ReCALL'' (journal), an academic journal about computer-assisted language learning * Recall (memory) * ''Recall'' (Overwatch ...

of a member. This has never happened. However, former MLA

Paul Reitsma Paul Reitsma (born January 22, 1948) is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada, for the electoral district of Parksville-Qualicum. He was born in 1948 in the Netherlands. Reitsma served as the mayor of Port Alber ...

was unofficially recalled because he resigned just as a recall attempt nearly succeeded. * Voided results. The last time a by-election took place for this reason was in 1904. The most recent any election has come close to being voided was in 1963. * Expulsion from the legislature. * Ineligibility to sit. * Winning in more than one district during a general election. The last time that happened was in 1921. It has been forbidden to run in multiple districts since 1940. * A riding being established during a parliament. The only time a by-election took place because of this was in early 1934, in Columbia. *

Ministerial by-election A ministerial by-election is a by-election to fill a vacancy triggered by the appointment of the sitting member of parliament (MP) as a minister in the cabinet. The requirement for new ministers to stand for re-election was introduced in the Ho ...

, until the 1930s an MLA's seat was declared vacant and the occupant was required to re-offer upon being appointed to Cabinet. Such by-elections often resulted in the incumbent being acclaimed. When there is a vacancy, a by-election must be called within six months of the Chief Electoral Officer learning of it. The only exception is when a member has been recalled. In that case, a by-election must be held with 90 days.

42nd Parliament 2020–present

41st Parliament 2017–2020

40th Parliament 2013–2017

39th Parliament 2009–2013

38th Parliament 2005–2009

37th Parliament 2001–2005

36th Parliament 1996–2001

* Reitsma is a former Liberal.

35th Parliament 1991–1996

* Dueck is a former Socred.

34th Parliament 1986–1991

33rd Parliament 1983–1986

32nd Parliament 1979–1983

The Kamloops by-election was the most recent by-election won by the governing party until 2011. During these 30 years the governing parties lost seventeen consecutive by-elections.

31st Parliament 1975–1979

30th Parliament 1972–1975

29th Parliament 1969–1972

There were no by-elections.

28th Parliament 1966–1969

27th Parliament 1963–1966

There were no by-elections.

26th Parliament 1960–1963

25th Parliament 1956–1960

24th Parliament 1953–1956

Douglas Jung Douglas Jung, (; February 25, 1924 – January 4, 2002) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, military officer, and Special Operations Executive secret agent. A Conservative, he was the first member of a visible minority elected to the Parliament ...

of the Progressive Conservative Party runs in the Vancouver Centre by-election, the first time any Chinese Canadian had run for a seat in a Canadian legislature.

23rd Parliament 1952–1953

These by-elections are held under the

alternative vote Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is a type of Ranked voting, ranked preferential Electoral system, voting method. It uses a Majority rule, majority voting rule in single-winner elections where there are more than two candidates. It is commonly referr ...

system, the only two times (as of March 2008) by-elections had been held using that

voting system An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. Electoral systems are used in politics to elect governments, while non-political elections ma ...

. After the next general election, the voting system would revert to

first past the post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...

in time for the next by-election.

22nd Parliament 1949–1952

21st Parliament 1945–1949

20th Parliament 1941–1945

19th Parliament 1937–1941

18th Parliament 1933–1937

The Columbia by-election is notable for two reasons. First, it is the only one (as of March 2008) held due to a district being created during a parliament; Second, it is the last time (as of March 2008) a candidate won through

acclamation An acclamation is a form of election that does not use a ballot. It derives from the ancient Roman word ''acclamatio'', a kind of ritual greeting and expression of approval towards imperial officials in certain social contexts. Voting Voice vot ...

. † Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

17th Parliament 1928–1933

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

16th Parliament 1924–1928

15th Parliament 1920–1924

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

14th Parliament 1916–1920

The Vancouver City by-election was won by

Mary Ellen Smith Mary Ellen Spear Smith (October 11, 1863 – May 3, 1933) was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. She was the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia,women could vote. † Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ. ~ 'Independent people's candidate', also endorsed by the Liberal Party. * Endorsed by the United Mineworkers of America and "organized labour generally".

13th Parliament 1912–1916

12th Parliament 1909–1912

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

11th Parliament 1907–1909

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

10th Parliament 1903–1907

The August 16 by-election in the district of

Lillooet Lillooet () is a district municipality in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The town is on the west shore of the Fraser River immediately north of the Seton River mouth. On BC Highway 99, the locality is by road abo ...

is the last time a by-election had been held due to a voided result, as of March 2008. The November 18, 1903 by-election in Vancouver City is the first by-election held since

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...

were introduced to the province. † Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

9th Parliament 1900–1903

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

8th Parliament 1898–1900

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

7th Parliament 1894–1898

* Result was voided. † Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

6th Parliament 1890–1894

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

5th Parliament 1886–1890

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

4th Parliament 1882–1886

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

3rd Parliament 1878–1882

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

2nd Parliament 1875–1878

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

1st Parliament 1871–1875

† Won by

; this date is the date of the return of the writ.

References

External links

Elections BC

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
{{Canelections *

Elections, by-elections British Columbia, by-elections

Causes

42nd Parliament 2020–present

41st Parliament 2017–2020

40th Parliament 2013–2017

39th Parliament 2009–2013

38th Parliament 2005–2009

37th Parliament 2001–2005

36th Parliament 1996–2001

35th Parliament 1991–1996

34th Parliament 1986–1991

33rd Parliament 1983–1986

32nd Parliament 1979–1983

31st Parliament 1975–1979

30th Parliament 1972–1975

29th Parliament 1969–1972

28th Parliament 1966–1969

27th Parliament 1963–1966

26th Parliament 1960–1963

25th Parliament 1956–1960

24th Parliament 1953–1956

23rd Parliament 1952–1953

22nd Parliament 1949–1952

21st Parliament 1945–1949

20th Parliament 1941–1945

19th Parliament 1937–1941

18th Parliament 1933–1937

17th Parliament 1928–1933

16th Parliament 1924–1928

15th Parliament 1920–1924

14th Parliament 1916–1920

13th Parliament 1912–1916

12th Parliament 1909–1912

11th Parliament 1907–1909

10th Parliament 1903–1907

9th Parliament 1900–1903

8th Parliament 1898–1900

7th Parliament 1894–1898

6th Parliament 1890–1894

5th Parliament 1886–1890

4th Parliament 1882–1886

3rd Parliament 1878–1882

2nd Parliament 1875–1878

1st Parliament 1871–1875

See also

References

External links