1926 Canadian Federal Election

King–Byng election

September 14, 1926 · War & fragmentation · 245 seats, 123 for a majority

The King–Byng election: after Governor General Byng refused King a dissolution and Meighen's three-day government fell, King campaigned against imperial interference and returned with 116 seats and effective control, an episode still cited in every constitutional crisis since.

Prime Minister before

Arthur Meighen

Conservative

Prime Minister after

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Liberal

Government formed

Liberal

minority government

Turnout

67.7%

The result

Liberal
W. L. Mackenzie King · +16 seats · 42.9%
116
seats
Conservative
Arthur Meighen · -24 seats · 45.4%
91
seats
Progressive
none · -11 seats · 3.9%
11
seats
United Farmers of Alberta
John E. Brownlee · +9 seats · 1.9%
11
seats

16 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.

The result by province & territory

Seats won and vote share in each province and territory. Blank cells mean the party did not contest the province; the results table splits allied labels (Liberal-Conservatives, farmers' candidates, independents) that the headline figures group together.

Liberal
BC 1 (37.0%)AB 3 (24.5%)SK 16 (51.3%)MB 4 (18.4%)ON 24 (35.3%)QC 59 (61.3%)NB 4 (46.1%)NS 2 (43.5%)PE 3 (52.7%)YT 0 (44.1%)
116
seats
Conservative
BC 12 (54.2%)AB 1 (31.5%)SK 0 (27.5%)MB 0 (39.7%)ON 53 (54.9%)QC 4 (34.0%)NB 7 (53.9%)NS 12 (53.7%)PE 1 (47.3%)YT 1 (55.9%)
91
seats
Progressive
SK 4 (17.9%)MB 4 (11.2%)ON 3 (5.1%)
11
seats
United Farmers of Alberta
AB 11 (38.7%)
11
seats
Liberal-Progressive
SK 1 (3.2%)MB 7 (19.5%)ON 0 (1.4%)
8
seats
Labour
BC 0 (6.4%)AB 1 (4.3%)MB 2 (8.7%)ON 1 (1.1%)NS 0 (2.8%)
4
seats
Independent
BC 1 (2.3%)AB 0 (0.1%)ON 0 (0.5%)QC 1 (1.9%)
2
seats
Independent Liberal
QC 1 (2.3%)
1
seats
United Farmers of Ontario
ON 1 (0.6%)
1
seats
Total seats
245