Returning Officers List and By-election Return

Summary#

The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer published a long list of people appointed as returning officers for Canada’s federal electoral districts and their contact details. The notice also records the return of the December 16, 2024 by‑election winner, naming Tamara Jansen as the member for Cloverdale—Langley City; the Gazette entry appeared on January 18, 2025.

What it does#

• Publishes the names, home addresses and occupations of the appointed returning officers for each federal electoral district, as required by the Canada Elections Act (listed under section 25 in the notice).
• Confirms the official return (receipt) of an election result for the by‑election held on December 16, 2024, recording Tamara Jansen as elected for Cloverdale—Langley City; the return was received on January 9, 2025.
• Shows a few districts still marked Vacant (the list itself names which districts are vacant), meaning some returning officer posts were not filled when the list was published.

Who's affected#

• Returning officers and their families — their names and residential details are published.
• Local election staff and political parties — these are the local contacts for running elections in each district.
• Voters in the listed districts — the named returning officer is the local official responsible for administering federal elections.
• Journalists, researchers and anyone who tracks election administration — they use the list to confirm who is responsible where.

Why it matters#

• Returning officers are the local organizers for federal elections; naming them publicly lets voters and candidates know who runs voting in each district.
• Publishing addresses and occupations increases transparency but also raises practical privacy considerations for the individuals named.
• Recording the by‑election return confirms who will represent Cloverdale—Langley City in the House of Commons, which affects local representation in Parliament.