1940 Canadian Federal Election

March 26, 1940 · The King–St. Laurent ascendancy · 245 seats, 123 for a majority

King sought and won a wartime mandate with 179 seats, the largest majority to that date, after Ontario Premier Mitchell Hepburn's condemnation of his war effort handed him the pretext for dissolution.

Prime Minister before

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Liberal

Prime Minister (continued)

William Lyon Mackenzie King

Liberal

Government formed

Liberal

majority government

Turnout

69.9%

The result

Share of House
LiberalW. L. Mackenzie King179+6
2,365,97951.3%+6.6
National GovernmentRobert Manion390
1,348,26029.2%-0.6
New DemocracyWilliam D. Herridge10-7
119,3542.6%-1.5
CCFJ. S. Woodsworth8+1
392,6158.4%-1.1

9 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.

Liberal1037.4%737.9%1243.0%1343.5%5650.3%6264.4%554.6%1050.4%455.3%046.4%17951.3%
National Government428.8%013.0%214.1%126.2%2240.2%018.0%543.4%140.1%044.7%153.6%3630.0%
Conservative00.2%01.7%32.2%01.1%31.2%
Co-operative Commonwealth128.4%013.0%528.7%119.6%03.8%00.7%00.4%16.0%88.6%
Social Credit716.5%00.6%71.0%
New Democracy00.1%318.0%03.3%00.4%00.9%31.6%
Liberal-Progressive24.7%10.8%30.6%
Independent Liberal0<0.1%01.0%210.2%01.6%03.3%23.3%
Independent13.0%00.2%01.0%03.4%00.4%02.1%00.2%11.3%
United Reform Movement13.7%10.3%
Unity13.3%10.3%
Independent Conservative10.9%10.2%
Total seats161721178265101241245