Canadian elections at the federal level are generally held every four years on a fixed date, specifically on the third Monday in October of the fourth calendar year following the previous election. This fixed election date rule was established by an amendment to the Canada Elections Act in 2007 and first applied in 2009. However, despite this fixed schedule, the Prime Minister can still request an earlier election, and the Governor General can dissolve Parliament before the fixed date, such as in cases of a vote of no confidence

. At the provincial and territorial levels, most jurisdictions have also enacted legislation setting fixed election dates, typically every four years, though the exact month and day vary by province or territory. For example:

• Alberta holds elections on the third Monday in October every four years.
• British Columbia holds elections on the third Saturday of October every four years.
• Manitoba holds elections on the first Tuesday in October every four years.
• Quebec holds elections on the first Monday in October every four years.
• Other provinces and territories have similar four-year cycles with fixed dates, often in the fall months

In summary, Canadian federal and provincial/territorial elections are mostly held every four years on fixed dates, but early elections can be called under certain circumstances, and the maximum term allowed by the Constitution is five years