2025 Yukon general election explained

Election Name:2025 Yukon general election
Ongoing:yes
Country:Yukon
Type:legislative
Party Colour:no
Party Name:no
Previous Election:2021 Yukon general election
Previous Year:2021
Previous Mps:35th Legislature of Yukon
Election Date:On or before November 3, 2025
Seats For Election:All 21 seats to the Legislative Assembly
Majority Seats:11
Image Upright:0.5
Image1:

YP

Leader1:Currie Dixon
Leader Since1:May 23, 2020
Leaders Seat1:Copperbelt North
Last Election1:8 seats, 39.32%
Seats Before1:8
Leader Since2:January 9, 2023
Leaders Seat2:Porter Creek South
Last Election2:8 seats, 32.37%
Seats Before2:8
Image3:

NDP

Leader3:Kate White
Leader Since3:May 4, 2019
Leaders Seat3:Takhini-Kopper King
Last Election3:3 seats, 28.17%
Seats Before3:3
Map Size:400
Premier
Before Election:Ranj Pillai
Posttitle:Premier after election

The 2025 Yukon general election will be held on or before November 3, 2025 to elect members to the 36th Yukon Legislative Assembly. Under amendments to the territorial Elections Act passed in 2020, the first fixed election date following the 2021 Yukon general election is set as November 3, 2025.[1] All subsequent elections will take place on the first Monday in November of the fourth calendar year following the previous election.[2] The legislative assembly may be dissolved earlier by order of the Commissioner of Yukon due to a motion of no confidence in the current minority government or on the advice of the premier.

On September 9, 2022, Sandy Silver announced his intention to resign as premier and party leader, staying on until the party elects a successor.[3] He was succeeded by Ranj Pillai in 2023.[4]

Following the final report from the citizen's assembly on electoral reform, the territorial government announced on September 19, 2024 that a referendum on adopting a ranked voting system will be held simultaneously with the 2025 general election.[5] The opposition Yukon Party reiterated its stance that changes to Yukon's electoral system should have to go through a referendum, while expressing its preference for first-past-the-post.[6]

In view of the population changes across the territory, the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission was set up to redraw the constituencies to balance the discrepancy of the population each MLA represents. In their final report, a two-seat expansion of the size of the assembly (from 19) was recommended, with both new ridings located in Whitehorse.[7] This was to reflect the city’s significantly greater population growth than the average of the territory in over a decade. The final proposal was approved by the MLAs in November 2024 and is taking effect in this election subsequently. [8] [9]

Opinion polls

Polling firmLast date
of polling
LinkLiberalYukonNDPOtherMargin
of error
Sample
size
Polling methodLead
Léger January 24, 2024HTML20443514.35%500phone9
Léger September 21, 2022HTML23453024.35%500phone15

Notes and References

  1. News: Ritchie . Haley . Marathon fall legislature sitting ends . December 30, 2020 . . December 30, 2020.
  2. Elections Act. R.S.Y.. 2002. 63. 50.01. https://legislation.yukon.ca/acts/elections_c.pdf. S.Y. 2020, c. 11.
  3. News: September 9, 2020 . Yukon Premier Sandy Silver to step down, asks Liberal Party to find a new leader . . September 9, 2020.
  4. Web site: January 9, 2023 . Ranj Pillai, acclaimed as Yukon Liberal leader, becomes premier this weekend . September 10, 2024 . CBC.ca.
  5. News: Yukon government to hold referendum on electoral reform in 2025. Caitrin . Pilkington. CBC News. September 19, 2024. October 18, 2024.
  6. Web site: Hatherly>first=Dana. Yukon Party prefers current voting system despite citizens’ assembly’s ranked ballot pitch. Yukon News. September 26, 2024. December 2, 2024.
  7. Web site: EDBC Final Report 2024. Elections Yukon. October 9, 2024. December 1, 2024.
  8. News: Yukon MLAs vote to redraw electoral map, with 2 new Whitehorse ridings . CBC News. November 20, 2024. November 25, 2024.
  9. Web site: Electoral District Boundaries Act (2024) receives assent in the Yukon Legislative Assembly. Government of Yukon. November 21, 2024. December 1, 2024.