Elections

By-elections and Referendums

While Canadians most often go to the polls during general elections to elect a government, there are other instances when they are asked to vote. The most common of these are in by-elections and in referendums. By-elections are local, limited to a single constituency or riding (although more than one by-election may be held on the same day in different parts of the province or country), while referendums are held on a larger scale, either provincially or nationally.

This section will look at both in greater detail:

1. By-Elections: A by-election is an election held in a single electoral district.
2. Referendums: A referendum or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may be the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy.