1958 Canadian federal election

Common card · No. 262971

The 1958 Canadian federal election was held to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election. It transformed Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's minority into the largest majority government in Canadian history and the second-largest percentage of the popular vote; only Unionist Prime Minister Robert Borden’s triumph in the 1917 federal election, at 56.93 per cent, was higher. Although the Tories would surpass their 1958-seat total in the 1984 election, the 1958 result (achieved in a smaller House) remains unmatched both in terms of percentage of seats (78.5%) and the size of the government majority over all opposition parties (a 151-seat majority). Voter turnout was 79.4%, the highest percentage of eligible electors to cast a ballot in Canadian federal election history.

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