OTTAWA — A House of Commons committee is calling on the government to make changes to the Elections Act that would make it harder for protest groups to sign up dozens of candidates in a single riding.

The Longest Ballot Committee targeted ridings in a number of recent byelections and during last April’s general election, when it produced a ballot nearly a metre long.

The group has said it’s trying to call attention to the need for electoral reform, but the long ballots have caused problems for Elections Canada.

The chief electoral officer has called for legislative changes to limit the number of candidates one person can nominate in a riding, and to ensure candidates in the same riding have different official agents.

The House procedure and affairs committee, which has been studying the issue, is now recommending those changes in a new report.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon is set to hold a press conference on Thursday to announce proposed amendments to the Elections Act.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press