Well, folks, the question on everyone’s lips in Ottawa and across the Prairies is this: when can we expect the by-election in Alberta’s Battle River–Crowfoot riding? Especially now that Pierre Poilievre is looking to claw his way back into the House of Commons after that stunning loss in Carleton. With Damien Kurek stepping aside to clear the path, the machinery of a federal by-election is now grinding into motion, but how soon is soon? And what exactly does the process look like?

Let’s walk it through.

Step 1: The Writs Must Be Returned
Before anything official can happen, the election results from the April 28 general vote need to be certified and the writs returned. According to Elections Canada, the official deadline for that is May 19, 2025. Until then, the government can’t formally acknowledge the vacancy in Battle River–Crowfoot, even if we all know Kurek’s seat is about to be up for grabs.

Step 2: Notifying the Vacancy
Once the results are certified and published in the Canada Gazette, the Speaker of the House issues a warrant to the Chief Electoral Officer, officially declaring the seat vacant. That’s the moment the countdown truly begins.

Step 3: Issuing the Writ
Here’s where the Canada Elections Act comes into play. The Governor General must call the by-election no fewer than 11 days and no more than 180 days after the vacancy is declared. That gives the Prime Minister a fair bit of discretion in setting the date, unless, of course, he’s under pressure to get the Leader of the Opposition back into Parliament sooner rather than later.

Mark Carney, now comfortably in the PM’s chair, has said he’s not playing games with this one. He told reporters on May 2 that the by-election would happen “as soon as possible…no games, nothing, straight.” That could mean we’re looking at a late June or early July contest, an unusually quick turnaround, but not out of the question.

Step 4: Campaign Period
By law, a federal campaign must last a minimum of 36 days. So once the writ drops, expect a quick-and-dirty sprint to the finish line.

And if you thought this was going to be a sleepy rural by-election, think again. The Longest Ballot Committee, a merry band of electoral reform activists, is threatening to run up to 200 candidates in the riding. It’s a stunt aimed squarely at exposing the flaws of our first-past-the-post system. Whether it derails Poilievre’s re-entry or just clogs the ballot box, it’s going to add a layer of political theatre to what might otherwise be a foregone conclusion.

Bottom Line
Barring delays, we’re likely to see the writ dropped sometime in late May or early June, putting election day in late June or early July. The political urgency, Poilievre’s comeback bid, Carney’s no-nonsense commitment, and a media circus brewing in east-central Alberta, suggests Ottawa isn’t going to wait the full 180 days.

So keep your calendars open and your popcorn handy. Battle River–Crowfoot may be heading into the national spotlight.

Sources
• Canada Elections Act – Elections Canada
• Battle River–Crowfoot federal by-election – Wikipedia
• iPolitics – Longest Ballot Committee
• OurCommons.ca – Election Candidates