# 2026 Abbotsford-Mission provincial by-election
The 2026 Abbotsford-Mission provincial by-election was a by-election called for the [British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-columbia) electoral district of Abbotsford-Mission on August 29, 2026, and canceled on September 22, 2026, before voting day, when Premier David Eby called a provincial general election for October 24, 2026.[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003) • [2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/) The seat had become vacant when [Reann Gasper](https://www.edgepedia.org/reann-gasper), the Conservative MLA, resigned on August 22, 2026.[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003) Under the law governing the cancellation, voting in the by-election ended when the general election was called, ballots already cast in the by-election do not count, and Abbotsford-Mission voters who had voted in the by-election had to vote again in the general election.[2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vacancy | Reann Gasper, Conservative MLA, resigned August 22, 2026[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003) |
| Writ issued | August 29, 2026, by Premier David Eby[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003) |
| Scheduled voting day | Saturday, September 26, 2026, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003) • [3](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/canelectgens/2026/canelectgen-008-26.html) |
| Cancellation | September 22, 2026, when the general election was called; ballots cast in the by-election do not count[2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/) |
| Seat filled instead | At the provincial general election on October 24, 2026[2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/) |
| By-election candidates | Pam Alexis (BC NDP), Kerry-Lynne Findlay (Conservative), Stephen Fowler (BC Green), Lakhwinder Jhaj (CentreBC), Jeff Monds (Libertarian)[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/) |
| Expense limits | $75,215.23 for political parties and for candidates; $3,890.44 for third party sponsors[5](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/bcgaz1/bcgaz1/521985509) |
## Vacancy and the writ
Reann Gasper had held Abbotsford-Mission for the Conservative Party since the 2024 provincial election, winning 13,523 votes (55.38 percent) against 10,894 (44.62 percent) for Pam Alexis of the BC NDP, a margin of 2,629 votes in a district with 42,692 registered voters and 57.42 percent turnout.[6](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf) She resigned as MLA on Saturday, August 22, 2026, making the seat vacant.[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003)
On Saturday, August 29, 2026, Premier David Eby called a by-election for the district, with final voting day set for Saturday, September 26, 2026.[1](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003) The federal Department of National Defence issued a CANELECTGEN notice to [Canadian Armed Forces](https://www.edgepedia.org/canadian-armed-forces) members covering the vote, noting that under section 32 of the BC Election Act a CAF member does not lose residency in the district while engaged in the service of the [Government of Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/government-of-canada).[3](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/canelectgens/2026/canelectgen-008-26.html)
## Cancellation
The by-election was canceled on September 22, 2026, when the provincial general election was called for October 24, 2026.[2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/) Elections BC stated that, as required by law, voting in the by-election had ended, that ballots already cast in the by-election would not be included in the provincial general election, and that Abbotsford-Mission voters who had already voted in the by-election would need to vote again in the general election.[2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/)
Abbotsford-Mission was one of two vacant seats carried onto the general election ballot. The other, Vancouver-Strathcona, had been vacant since August 28, 2026, when Joan Phillip of the BC NDP died in office.[2](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/)
## Candidates
The final list of by-election candidates was confirmed in early September 2026:[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
- **Pam Alexis**, BC NDP. She had previously represented Abbotsford-Mission after being elected in 2020, served as B.C.'s minister of agriculture and food, and is a former mayor of Mission.[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
- **Kerry-Lynne Findlay**, Conservative Party of B.C. leader. A former Member of Parliament for several B.C. ridings, she served as chief Opposition whip under [Pierre Poilievre](https://www.edgepedia.org/pierre-poilievre), the first woman to hold that role for the federal Conservatives. Her candidacy came amid turmoil in the provincial party; since she became leader, nine MLAs had left to sit as Independents or join a new party.[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
- **Stephen Fowler**, BC Green Party, a teacher at Rick Hansen Secondary School in Abbotsford who had previously run provincially and federally, campaigning on affordable social housing, expanded public transit, and community health centers.[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
- **Lakhwinder Jhaj**, CentreBC, who had previously run under both the BC NDP and [Liberal Party of Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/liberal-party-of-canada) banners.[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
- **Jeff Monds**, Libertarian, a frequent candidate whose previous runs included Delta-Richmond East in 2011, Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission in 2008, multiple provincial elections, and the federal North Vancouver-Capilano by-election in August 2026.[4](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
After the cancellation, the seat went to the general election ballot with a different candidate lineup: Pam Alexis (BC NDP), Virender Dass (OneBC), Lakhwinder Jhaj ([CentreBC](https://www.edgepedia.org/centrebc)), Darryl Kropp (Conservative Party), and Jeff Monds (Libertarian), with nominations closing October 3, 2026; the BC Green Party did not appear on the ballot in the district.[7](https://bcebc.ca/2026-provincial-election/candidate-list/) • [8](https://bcballot.ca/ridings/abbotsford-mission/)
## Voting rules and campaign finance
Under the BC Election Act as applied to the by-election, a voter had to be a resident of the Abbotsford-Mission electoral district, a Canadian citizen, 18 years of age or older on final voting day, a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before final voting day, and registered on the provincial list of voters for the district.[3](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/canelectgens/2026/canelectgen-008-26.html) General registration closed at 23:59 on September 14, 2026, after which registration was possible only when voting.[3](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/canelectgens/2026/canelectgen-008-26.html) Advance voting was set for September 18 to 23, 2026, with locations open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on each of the six days, and alternative options included mail-in packages, in-person voting at the district electoral officer's office, and assisted telephone voting.[3](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/canelectgens/2026/canelectgen-008-26.html)
The British Columbia Gazette of September 3, 2026, published the by-election expense limits under section 204 of the Election Act: $75,215.23 for political parties, $75,215.23 for candidates, and $3,890.44 for third party sponsors.[5](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/bcgaz1/bcgaz1/521985509)
## References
1. [Byelection called for Abbotsford-Mission, BC Gov News (August 29, 2026)](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026PREM0061-001003)
2. [Abbotsford-Mission by-election cancelled, BC Ballot](https://bcballot.ca/by-elections/)
3. [CANELECTGEN 008-26 – Abbotsford-Mission By-Election - British Columbia, National Defence, Canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/canelectgens/2026/canelectgen-008-26.html)
4. [Final list of candidates announced for Abbotsford-Mission byelection, CityNews Vancouver (September 6, 2026)](https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/06/abbotsford-mission-byelection/)
5. [The British Columbia Gazette, September 3, 2026 – Expenses Limits](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/bcgaz1/bcgaz1/521985509)
6. [Elections BC, Statement of Votes, 2024 Provincial General Election](https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/statement-of-votes-2024-provincial-election.pdf)
7. [Candidates, Elections BC – 2026 Provincial General Election candidate list](https://bcebc.ca/2026-provincial-election/candidate-list/)
8. [Abbotsford-Mission candidates and results 2026, BC Ballot](https://bcballot.ca/ridings/abbotsford-mission/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Elections and representation › Elections and referendums › National and subnational elections outside the US and UK › Canadian election events*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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