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2021 Newfoundland and Labrador general election

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All 40 seats in the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador 21 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	51.4% ( 9.3 pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Andrew Furey Ches Crosbie Alison Coffin Party Liberal Progressive Conservative New Democratic Leader since August 3, 2020 April 28, 2018 March 5, 2019 Leader's seat Humber-Gros Morne Windsor Lake (lost re-election) St. John's East-Quidi Vidi (lost re-election) Last election 20 seats, 43.9% 15 seats, 42.6% 3 seats, 6.3% Seats before 19 15 3 Seats won 22 13 2 Seat change 3 2 1 Popular vote 86,180 69,314 14,324 Percentage 48.24% 38.80% 8.02% Swing 4.24pp 3.76pp 1.71pp
Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding. Click the map for more details.
Premier before election Andrew Furey Liberal Premier after election Andrew Furey Liberal

Under the province's fixed election date law, the vote was tentatively scheduled for October 10, 2023, but a caveat in the law mandates that an election must be held within one year of a new Premier assuming office. Premier Furey assumed the role on August 19, 2020, and requested to Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote to issue the writs of election on January 15, 2021.

However, an unexpected COVID-19 surge in the week leading up to the election caused voting to be delayed on the Avalon Peninsula, before all in-person voting was eventually cancelled, delaying the election for every district until March 1, 2021. After several more delays, the final mail-in ballot deadline became March 25, 2021. The election was the first mail-in-only election in Canada. Preliminary results were released by noon on March 27, which projected a majority government for Andrew Furey and the Liberal Party.

Results

Summary of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador election results^{[citation needed]}

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats
					2019	Dissol.	2021	Change
	Liberal	86,180	48.24	+4.24	20	19	22	+2
	Progressive Conservative	69,314	38.80	-3.76	15	15	13	-2
	New Democratic	14,324	8.02	+1.71	3	3	2	-1
	NL Alliance	557	0.31	-2.08	0	0	0	±0
	Independents	8,257	4.62	-0.12	2	3	3	+1
Total		178,632	100.00	–	40	40	40	0

Historical results from 1993 onwards

Graph of NL general election results by share of votes, 1993–2021; omitted are minor parties consistently registering less than 2% of the vote.

Graph of NL general election results by seats won, 1993–2021; those of independent MHAs are omitted.

Synopsis of results

2021 Newfoundland and Labrador general election - synopsis of riding results

Riding	2019		Winning party						Turnout	Votes
			Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %		Lib	PC	NDP	NL All	Ind	Total
Baie Verte-Green Bay		Lib		Lib	2,158	52.1%	171	4.2%	42.1%	2,158	1,987	–	–	–	4,145
Bonavista		PC		PC	2,117	57.3%	1,173	31.7%	40.5%	944	2,117	70	–	562	3,693
Burgeo-La Poile		Lib		Lib	1,992	87.1%	1,757	76.8%	33.5%	1,992	235	60	–	–	2,287
Burin-Grand Bank		Lib		Lib	2,666	59.6%	1,027	23.0%	50.5%	2,666	1,639	169	–	–	4,474
Cape St. Francis		PC		PC	3,476	62.5%	1,905	34.3%	58.1%	1,571	3,476	449	65	–	5,561
Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde		Lib		Lib	3,892	67.5%	2,296	39.8%	51.5%	3,892	1,596	261	–	14	5,763
Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair		Lib		Lib	973	95.2%	924	90.4%	35.3%	973	49	–	–	–	1,022
Conception Bay East – Bell Island		PC		PC	3,215	56.2%	1,322	23.1%	50.1%	1,893	3,215	614	–	–	5,722
Conception Bay South		PC		PC	3,063	57.1%	1,122	20.9%	55.5%	1,941	3,063	225	136	–	5,365
Corner Brook		Lib		Lib	2,593	66.5%	1,289	33.0%	38.4%	2,593	1,304	–	–	–	3,897
Exploits		PC		PC	2,641	54.8%	463	9.6%	51.5%	2,178	2,641	–	–	–	4,819
Ferryland		PC		PC	3,197	52.3%	501	8.2%	58.7%	2,696	3,197	216	–	–	6,109
Fogo Island-Cape Freels		Lib		Lib	2,511	61.1%	1,004	24.5%	40.7%	2,511	1,507	95	–	–	4,113
Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune		Lib		Lib	1,868	68.2%	1,087	39.7%	51.0%	1,868	781	89	–	–	2,738
Gander		Lib		Lib	3,358	70.9%	2,130	45.0%	47.9%	3,358	1,228	148	–	–	4,734
Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans		PC		PC	2,735	59.2%	959	20.7%	47.8%	1,776	2,735	106	–	–	4,617
Harbour Grace-Port de Grave		Lib		Lib	3,404	71.1%	2,235	46.7%	44.3%	3,404	1,169	215	–	–	4,788
Harbour Main		PC		PC	3,180	54.5%	750	12.9%	53.7%	2,430	3,180	228	–	–	5,838
Humber-Bay of Islands		Ind		Ind	2,988	71.6%	2,247	53.8%	41.0%	741	444	–	–	2,988	4,173
Humber-Gros Morne		Lib		Lib	2,838	64.0%	1,346	30.4%	44.8%	2,838	1,492	107	–	–	4,437
Labrador West		NDP		NDP	1,359	50.0%	579	21.3%	43.2%	780	577	1,359	–	–	2,716
Lake Melville		Lib		Ind	1,143	49.9%	596	26.0%	46.8%	306	547	279	–	1,160	2,292
Lewisporte-Twillingate		Lib		Lib	2,593	62.4%	1,033	24.8%	41.1%	2,593	1,560	–	–	–	4,153
Mount Pearl North		PC		Lib	2,428	46.7%	109	2.1%	49.6%	2,428	2,319	337	116	–	5,200
Mount Pearl-Southlands		Ind		Ind	3,445	59.6%	2,059	35.6%	54.6%	1,386	797	152	–	3,445	5,780
Mount Scio		Lib		Lib	2,011	46.6%	859	19.9%	46.8%	2,011	1,152	1,074	60	18	4,315
Placentia-St. Mary's		Lib		Lib	2,552	50.8%	216	4.2%	54.3%	2,552	2,336	–	131	–	5,019
Placentia West-Bellevue		PC		PC	2,965	54.3%	661	12.1%	56.8%	2,304	2,965	189	–	–	5,458
St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows		Lib		Lib	2,375	51.2%	216	4.7%	51.3%	2,375	2,159	38	–	70	4,642
St. George's-Humber		Lib		Lib	2,420	58.5%	946	22.8%	43.7%	2,420	1,474	191	49	–	4,134
St. John's Centre		NDP		NDP	1,991	52.4%	714	18.8%	38.9%	1,277	533	1,991	–	–	3,801
St. John's East-Quidi Vidi		NDP		Lib	2,447	43.0%	53	1.0%	50.8%	2,447	856	2,394	–	–	5,697
St. John's West		Lib		Lib	2,679	57.8%	1,195	25.8%	49.1%	2,679	1,484	470	–	–	4,633
Stephenville-Port au Port		PC		PC	2,481	59.7%	907	21.8%	43.4%	1,574	2,481	103	–	–	4,158
Terra Nova		PC		PC	2,837	53.2%	514	9.6%	53.2%	2,323	2,837	173	–	–	5,333
Topsail-Paradise		PC		PC	3,036	50.6%	511	8.5%	55.6%	2,525	3,036	440	–	–	6,001
Torngat Mountains		PC		PC	420	88.8%	383	81.0%	22.5%	16	420	37	–	–	473
Virginia Waters-Pleasantville		Lib		Lib	3,481	59.6%	2,257	38.6%	56.8%	3,481	1,224	1,135	–	–	5,840
Waterford Valley		Lib		Lib	3,592	66.8%	2,244	41.7%	52.8%	3,592	1,348	438	–	–	5,378
Windsor Lake		PC		Lib	2,688	50.6%	534	10.1%	56.7%	2,688	2,154	472	–	–	5,314

  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = incumbent re-elected in same riding
  = incumbent changed allegiance
  = other incumbent renominated

Ridings changing hands

Four ridings changed their allegiance from 2019:

Liberal to Independent

• Lake Melville

PC to Liberal

• Mount Pearl North
• Windsor Lake

NDP to Liberal

• St. John's East-Quidi Vidi

Resulting composition of the 50th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador

Source		Party
		Lib	PC	NDP	Ind	Total
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	17	12	2	2	33
	Open seats held	2	1			3
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	3				3
	Change in affiliation				1	1
Total		22	13	2	3	40

Incumbents not running for reelection

The following MHAs had announced that they would not be running in this provincial election:

Liberal

• Carol Anne Haley (Burin-Grand Bank)
• Christopher Mitchelmore (St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows)

Progressive Conservative

• Kevin Parsons (Cape St. Francis)

Timeline

Changes in seats held (2019–2021)

Seat	Before				Change
	Date	Member	Party	Reason	Date	Member	Party
Humber-Gros Morne	September 7, 2020	Dwight Ball	█ Liberal	Resignation	October 6, 2020	Andrew Furey	█ Liberal
Lake Melville	November 10, 2020	Perry Trimper	█ Liberal	Resigned from caucus			█ Independent

2019

• May 16, 2019 – The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador wins 20 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly during the general election, re-electing Premier Dwight Ball but forcing the Liberals to form a minority government. This is the first time the province elected a minority government since 1971.
• May 30, 2019 – Premier Ball's cabinet is sworn in; all ministers maintain their previous portfolios with the exception of MHA Warr entering cabinet.
• September 13, 2019 – Minister Trimper resigns from cabinet after comments critical of the Innu Nation were left on the voicemail of an Innu Nation staffer and publicly revealed.
• September 13, 2019 – MHA Bragg is appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment replacing Trimper.
• December 5, 2019 – The House of Assembly votes to reprimand Minister Chris Mitchelmore for his hiring of Carla Foote at The Rooms despite her lack of qualifications and her political connections to the Liberals. The House of Assembly ordered that Mitchelmore apologize to the Board of Directors of The Rooms, to the House of Assembly, and also be suspended two-week without pay.

2020

• February 17, 2020 – Dwight Ball announces that he will be resigning as Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador following a Liberal leadership election. Provincial legislation requires a general election to be held no more than one year following a Premier's resignation.
• April 4, 2020 – Service NL Minister Sherry Gambin-Walsh was removed from cabinet as the RCMP launched a criminal investigation into allegations that she leaked cabinet documents.
• July 16, 2020 – The Progressive Conservatives begin opening up nominations in anticipation of an upcoming provincial election.
• July 21, 2020 – The NL Alliance open nominations in all forty districts.
• August 3, 2020 – Andrew Furey is elected leader of the Liberal Party.
• August 19, 2020 – Furey is formally sworn in as Premier, along with a new provincial cabinet. MHAs Bennett, Loveless, and Stoodley enter cabinet.
• September 7, 2020 – Dwight Ball resigns as MHA for Humber-Gros Morne.
• September 9, 2020 – The RCMP disclose that Sherry Gambin-Walsh broke cabinet confidentiality by leaking information to Paul Didham, a senior police officer with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. The RCMP did not lay criminal charges against Gambin-Walsh because no one benefited from the information; however Premier Furey did not reappoint her to cabinet.
• September 14, 2020 – The Liberals open nominations for a general election.
• September 25, 2020 – The New Democratic Party opens nominations for a general election.
• October 2, 2020 – At their annual convention, the Progressive Conservatives vote against conducting a review of Ches Crosbie's leadership.
• October 6, 2020 – Liberal candidate, Premier Andrew Furey, is elected in the Humber-Gros Morne by-election.

2021

• January 15, 2021 – Premier Furey asks Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote to dissolve the House of Assembly for a general provincial election, scheduled for February 13, 2021.
• January 17, 2021 – The Progressive Conservatives become the first of the four registered parties to nominate a slate of 40 candidates.
• January 21, 2021 – The Liberals become the second of the four registered parties to nominate a slate of 40 candidates.
• January 22, 2021 – NL Alliance leader Graydon Pelley suspends his campaign due to an emergency surgery that left him in an extensive recovery period.
• January 23, 2021 – Deadline for candidates to be nominated.
• February 2, 2021 – Initial deadline for mail-in ballots to be received.
• February 6, 2021 – Advance voting took place.
• February 11, 2021 – Following a surge in cases of COVID-19 in St. John's and the surrounding area, Chief Electoral Officer Bruce Chaulk announced that voting in 18 of the province's 40 electoral districts, all in the Avalon Peninsula, would be delayed indefinitely.
• February 12, 2021 – In-person voting is entirely canceled province-wide after it was discovered that the new COVID-19 cases were the Variant of Concern 202012/01.
• February 13, 2021 – Initial date that the election was to be held.
• March 1, 2021 – Original day that mail-in ballots were to be received.
• March 5, 2021 – Second deadline that mail-in ballots were to be received.
• March 25, 2021 – Deadline that mail-in ballots are to be received.
• March 27, 2021 – Preliminary results are to be announced by Elections NL.
• March 30, 2021 – Results will officially be tallied, and the victors will be declared elected.

Campaign

Target seats

Candidates by district