Statement – Recommendation of the Chief Electoral Officer – Date of the General Election

Statements and Speeches

On July 29, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) announced his decision not to recommend to the Governor in Council a change to the date of the next general election, which is currently set for October 21, 2019.

The CEO was asked by observant members of the Jewish community to recommend changing that date to October 28 by reason of a conflict with Jewish religious holidays. In accordance with the ruling of the Federal Court of Canada in Chani Aryeh-Bain et al. vs. The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, the CEO has carefully reconsidered this matter and provided detailed reasons for his decision.

The full text of the decision is available on Elections Canada's website.

Quotes from the CEO's decision:

Having carefully considered the impact of holding the election on October 21 on the ability of observant Jews to participate in the electoral process, and having balanced that with my mandate to ensure accessible voting opportunities for all Canadians, I conclude that it would not be advisable to change the date of the election at this late stage. […]

This is not a decision that I make lightly, but with a view to providing the broadest possible range of accessible voting services to the population at large. […]

I am committed to continuing to work with the Jewish community to maximize voting options within the existing calendar in ways that are convenient and consistent with their religious beliefs.

Stéphane Perrault, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada