List of Federal Returning Officers

Summary#

This Canada Gazette entry publishes the official list of people appointed as returning officers for federal electoral districts. The list was issued by Stéphane Perrault, Chief Electoral Officer, on December 22, 2023 under the Canada Elections Act and uses boundaries from the 2013 Representation Order.

What it does#

• Publishes the name, address and occupation of each person appointed as a returning officer for every federal electoral district.
• Confirms those appointments are made under the Canada Elections Act and the rules tied to the 2013 Representation Order.
• Notes that some districts are listed as Vacant (no returning officer named yet).

Who's affected#

• People running or organizing federal election campaigns (candidates, local party teams).
• Political parties, local election workers and volunteers.
• Journalists, researchers and members of the public who need to contact the local official responsible for running federal polls.
• Office of the Chief Electoral Officer / Elections Canada, which uses this list to coordinate election administration.

Why it matters#

• Returning officers are the local officials who run voting in a district. Knowing who they are — and their contact details — matters for registration, candidate nominations, vote logistics, and resolving local election questions.
• The list makes it clear where there are vacancies; those districts may need appointments before the next federal election.
• This is a routine, administrative publication rather than a change in law or policy. The list is the official record of who is responsible on the ground for federal elections in each district.