The 1923 Ontario general election was the 16th general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 25, 1923, to elect the 111 Members of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").
The Ontario Conservative Party, led by George Howard Ferguson, was elected to power with a majority in the Legislature (although taking less than half the votes cast).
This election ended the rule of the United Farmers of Ontario-Labour coalition government of Ernest C. Drury.
Campaign
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Candidate contests in the ridings
!rowspan="2"|Candidates nominated !!rowspan="2"|Ridings !!colspan="8"|Party
|-
| align="center" |Con
| align="center" |UFO
| align="center" |Lib
| align="center" |Lab
| align="center" |Ind
| align="center" |Pro
| align="center" |Ind-Lib
!Totals
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Acclamation ||2 ||1 || || ||1 || || || ||2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |2 ||50 ||43 ||34 ||19 ||2 ||1 ||1 || ||100
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |3 ||49 ||48 ||34 ||48 ||13 ||1 ||2 ||1 ||147
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |4 ||8 ||8 ||2 ||9 ||6 ||6 || ||1 ||32
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |5 ||1 ||1 ||1 ||1 || ||2 || || ||5
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |6 ||1 ||2 || ||1 ||1 ||2 || || ||6
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Total ||111 ||103 ||71 ||78 ||23 ||12 ||3 ||2 ||292
|}
Electoral system
Most seats filled using first past the post voting in single-member districts.
The eight Toronto MPPs were elected in four two-seat districts where the seats were filled in separate first past the post contests.
Voter turnout
The election saw a voter turnout of just 54.7%, the lowest voter turnout in Ontario history until the 2007 election.
The low election turn-out was in part caused by the worst wind, rain and lightning storm in years inundating the western part of the province. The electrical storm and hurricane began shortly after the polls closed, resulting in massive disruption of telegraph and telephone communications, which hampered the reporting of results.
Results
The 1923 election was plagued by low turn-out, and all the parties took fewer voters than they had in 1919.
The UFO actually took a larger proportion of the vote than it had in 1919 but took just a fraction of the seats it had taken in 1919 due to much of the anti-UFO vote concentrating behind Conservative Party candidates. The UFO had held power by virtue of a coalition with Labour and three other MLAs. Together they had received 34 percent of the votes cast in 1919. The Conservatives after the 1923 election took majority government based on taking 34 percent of the vote by that one party alone.
The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Wellington Hay, lost close to half its caucus in the Conservative landslide. Labour (the Independent Labour Party) too lost most of its MLAs in this turn-around election.
The Conservative party was the most popular, taking 34 percent of the vote. Its candidate was the leading one in a large proportion of the districts, giving it a large majority of seats in the legislature (more than its due proportionally) under the First past the post system in use at the time.
In the election, the UFO again did not run candidates where a Labour candidate was running - and also not in 20 other districts as well. The UFO received the third-most number of votes overall but only ran in about two-thirds of the districts so its vote count likely does not measure its actual support. Together Labour and the UFO ran in 93 seats so the two did not cover all the districts in the province.
The UFO did not receive as many votes as it had in 1919 but still got fairly good numbers considering it did not run candidates in a third of the districts. As the 1923 election was plagued by low turn-out, the UFO received a higher percentage of votes cast than it had received in 1919.
Prior to the election, the UFO government had introduced bills to re-distribute the ridings, and to introduce proportional representation and the single transferable vote, but withdrew them after vehement opposition from the Conservative MLAs, and it was found that even some government members were ambivalent.
Under First past the post, the UFO received about a third of the seats that it was due proportionally overall. Looking at the 71 districts where the UFO ran candidates, it received about half the votes there so was due 35 of those seats but received only eight. In many districts, Conservative candidates took rural seats away from incumbent UFO MLAs by taking just a few hundred more votes than them in each district. In Prince Edward, Conservative candidate Horace Stanley Colliver took just 17 more votes than his closest contender to win the seat.
Ferguson was the only party leader to hold his seat in the election. Drury, Hay and Rollo all lost their seats to their Conservative opponents.
|-
! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party
! rowspan=2 | Party leader
! colspan=5 | MPPs
! colspan=3 | Votes
|-
! Candidates
!1919
!<small>Dissol.</small>
!1923
!±
!#
!%
! ± (pp)
|style="text-align:left;"|Howard Ferguson
|103
|25
|24
|75
|50
|473,819
|49.77%
|15.68
|style="text-align:left;"|E.C. Drury
|71
|44
|44
|17
|27
|199,393
|20.94%
|0.03
|style="text-align:left;"|Wellington Hay
|78
|27
|27
|14
|13
|203,079
|21.33%
|4.18
|style="text-align:left;"|Walter Rollo
|23
|11
|11
|4
|7
|45,213
|4.75%
|4.34
|style="text-align:left;"|
|12
|–
|–
|1
|1
|15,426
|1.62%
|2.45
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2
|1
|1
|–
|1
|5,041
|0.53%
|0.08
|style="text-align:left;"|
|3
|–
|–
|–
|–
|10,122
|1.06%
|
|style="text-align:left;"|
|–
|1
|1
|–
|1
|colspan="3"|Did not campaign
|style="text-align:left;"|
|–
|1
|1
|–
|1
|colspan="3"|Did not campaign
|style="text-align:left;"|
|–
|1
|1
|–
|1
|colspan="3"|Did not campaign
|colspan="3"|
|1
|colspan="5"|
|-style="background:#E9E9E9;"
|colspan="3" style="text-align:left;"|Total
|292
|111
|111
|111
|
|952,093
|100.00%
|
|-
|colspan="8" style="text-align:left;"|Blank and invalid ballots
|align="right"|13,600
|style="background:#E9E9E9;" colspan="2"|
|-style="background:#E9E9E9;"
|colspan="8" style="text-align:left;"|Registered voters / turnout
|1,655,312
|58.34%
|27.19
|}
Vote and seat summaries
Synopsis of results
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="text-align:right; font-size:85%"
|+ Results by riding - 1923 Ontario general election
|-
! rowspan="3" scope="col" | Riding
! rowspan="3" scope="col" | Region
! scope="col" colspan="6" | Winning party
! rowspan="3" scope="col" | Turnout<br>
! scope="col" colspan="8" | Votes
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" scope="col" | 1919 → 1923
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Votes
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Share
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Margin<br>#
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Margin<br>%
! scope="col" | Con
! scope="col" | UFO
! scope="col" | Lib
! scope="col" | Lab
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" |
! scope="col" |
! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Total
|-
! scope="col" style="background-color:#9999FF;"|
! scope="col" style="background-color:#66CC00;"|
! scope="col" style="background-color:#EA6D6A;"|
! scope="col" style="background-color:#EEBBBB;"|
! scope="col" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|
! scope="col" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"|
! scope="col" style="background-color:#66CC00;"|
|-
! !! !! colspan="2"| !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Addington|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,110 || 70.83% ||1,829 || 41.65% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 61.33% ||3,110 ||– ||1,281 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||4,391
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Algoma|| style="text-align:left;" |NOR
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|2,365 || 36.06% ||14 || 0.21% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 67.57% ||2,351 ||1,842 ||2,365 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,558
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Brant North|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|3,617 || 50.36% ||52 || 0.72% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 61.19% ||3,565 ||3,617 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,182
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Brant South|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Lab
|5,678 || 53.26% ||695 || 6.52% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 59.09% ||– ||– ||4,983 ||5,678 ||– ||– ||– ||10,661
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Brockville|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" |→||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,182 || 59.12% ||1,290 || 18.24% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 62.26% ||4,182 ||– ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,892 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,074
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Bruce North|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|2,557 || 39.97% ||311 || 4.86% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 75.68% ||2,246 ||2,557 ||1,595 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,398
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Bruce South|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|1,942 || 35.83% ||49 || 0.90% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 67.10% ||1,893 ||1,942 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|1,585 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,420
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Bruce West|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|2,582 || 38.73% ||38 || 0.57% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 68.07% ||1,541 ||2,544 ||2,582 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,667
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Carleton|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,813 || 61.22% ||1,764 || 22.44% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 64.13% ||4,813 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,049 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,862
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Cochrane|| style="text-align:left;" |NOR
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|3,138 || 39.54% ||627 || 7.90% || 42.39% ||2,172 ||– ||3,138 ||2,511 ||116 ||– ||– ||7,937
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Dufferin|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,898 || 51.47% ||223 || 2.94% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 72.03% ||3,898 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,675 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,573
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Dundas|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,773 || 54.07% ||568 || 8.14% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 65.52% ||3,773 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,205 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,978
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Durham East|| style="text-align:left;" |CEN
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,040 || 60.25% ||1,034 || 20.49% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 63.35% ||3,040 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,006 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,046
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Durham West|| style="text-align:left;" |CEN
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|2,295 || 42.31% ||181 || 3.34% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 67.51% ||2,114 ||1,015 ||2,295 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,424
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Elgin East|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|2,968 || 44.34% ||1,050 || 15.69% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 61.37% ||2,968 ||1,807 ||1,918 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,693
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Elgin West|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|5,289 || 50.07% ||1,709 || 14.68% || 58.24% ||5,289 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,773 ||3,580 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||11,642
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Essex North|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|4,282 || 62.15% ||1,674 || 24.30% || 49.08% ||– ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,608 ||4,282 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,890
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Essex South|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|2,652 || 35.43% ||60 || 0.80% || 57.08% ||2,652 ||2,592 ||2,241 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,485
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Fort William|| style="text-align:left;" |NOR
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|2,866 || 39.94% ||208 || 2.90% || 57.97% ||2,866 ||– ||1,152 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,658 ||– ||500 ||– ||7,176
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Frontenac|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,529 || 57.56% ||927 || 15.12% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 70.59% ||3,529 ||2,602 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,131
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Glengarry|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|3,313 || 54.53% ||550 || 9.05% || 54.27% ||– ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,763 ||3,313 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,076
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Grenville|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,374 || 66.56% ||2,176 || 33.11% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 60.17% ||4,374 ||2,198 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,572
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Grey Centre|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|3,636 || 50.52% ||75 || 1.04% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 65.32% ||3,561 ||3,636 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,197
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Grey North|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|3,873 || 40.50% ||60 || 0.63% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 68.46% ||3,813 ||style="background-color:#EABB94;"|3,873 ||1,877 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||9,563
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Grey South|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,553 || 51.77% ||312 || 3.55% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 65.93% ||4,553 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|4,241 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||8,794
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Haldimand|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,297 || 47.56% ||644 || 7.13% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 65.96% ||4,297 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,653 ||1,085 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||9,035
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Halton|| style="text-align:left;" |HAM
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|5,186 || 45.43% ||716 || 6.27% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 68.60% ||5,186 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|4,470 ||1,760 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||11,416
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Hamilton East|| style="text-align:left;" |HAM
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|11,064 || 55.07% ||5,932 || 29.53% || 41.12% ||11,064 ||– ||5,132 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,894 ||– ||– ||– ||20,090
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Hamilton West|| style="text-align:left;" |HAM
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|5,784 || 52.42% ||2,731 || 24.75% || 46.80% ||5,784 ||– ||3,053 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,198 ||– ||– ||– ||11,035
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Hastings East|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,741 || 62.40% ||1,487 || 24.80% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 64.10% ||3,741 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,254 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,995
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Hastings North|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,356 || 71.77% ||2,643 || 43.55% || 58.15% ||4,356 ||1,713 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,069
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Hastings West|| style="text-align:left;" |EAS
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,846 || 60.05% ||1,622 || 20.10% || 51.08% ||4,846 ||– ||3,224 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||8,070
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Huron Centre|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,133 || 41.58% ||724 || 9.61% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 66.47% ||3,133 ||1,992 ||– ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,409 ||– ||– ||– ||7,534
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Huron North|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|2,896 || 44.44% ||398 || 6.11% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 68.11% ||2,896 ||2,498 ||1,122 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,516
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Huron South|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|2,800 || 40.11% ||437 || 6.26% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 69.29% ||2,800 ||2,363 ||1,818 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||6,981
|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Kenora|| style="text-align:left;" |NOR
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|colspan="13" style="text-align:center;" |acclaimed
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Kent East|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|4,024 || 54.75% ||698 || 9.50% || 57.65% ||3,326 ||4,024 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,350
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Kent West|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Lib
|6,153 || 59.80% ||2,017 || 19.60% || 47.73% ||– ||4,136 ||6,153 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||10,289
|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Kingston|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Lab
|5,006 || 50.08% ||15 || 0.15% || 47.29% ||4,991 ||– ||– ||style="background-color:#EABB94;"|5,006 ||– ||– ||– ||9,997
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Welland|| style="text-align:left;" |HAM
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,941 || 52.19% ||1,239 || 13.09% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 59.17% ||4,941 ||824 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,702 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||9,467
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Wellington East|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|3,628 || 61.64% ||1,370 || 23.28% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 61.32% ||2,258 ||3,628 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,886
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Wellington South|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|5,444 || 52.04% ||2,424 || 23.17% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 60.12% ||5,444 ||3,020 ||1,997 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||10,461
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Wellington West|| style="text-align:left;" |MWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|2,685 || 50.41% ||576 || 10.81% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 65.13% ||2,685 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,109 ||532 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,326
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |Wentworth North|| style="text-align:left;" |HAM
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |UFO
|3,397 || 58.02% ||939 || 16.04% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 65.80% ||2,458 ||3,397 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||– ||5,855
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Wentworth South|| style="text-align:left;" |HAM
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|3,348 || 46.38% ||889 || 12.32% || 49.57% ||3,348 ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|2,459 ||1,411 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||7,218
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Windsor|| style="text-align:left;" |SWO
|style="text-align:left;" |→ ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|5,424 || 53.29% ||1,871 || 18.38% || 34.99% ||5,424 ||– ||style="background-color:#DCD0FF;"|3,553 ||1,202 ||– ||– ||– ||10,179
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |York East|| style="text-align:left;" |CEN
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|11,863 || 71.36% ||8,783 || 52.84% || 32.85% ||11,863 ||3,080 ||976 ||– ||704 ||– ||– ||16,623
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |York North|| style="text-align:left;" |CEN
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|4,341 || 44.65% ||811 || 8.34% ||style="background-color:#F5F5DC;"| 69.77% ||4,341 ||1,852 ||3,530 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||9,723
|- style="background-color:#DCDCDC;"
|style="text-align:left;" |York West|| style="text-align:left;" |CEN
|style="text-align:left;" | ||style="text-align:left;" |Con
|14,338 || 72.10% ||8,791 || 44.21% || 33.00% ||14,338 ||– ||– ||– ||5,547 ||– ||– ||19,885
|}
: = turnout is above provincial average
: = incumbent re-elected under the same party banner
: = returned by acclamation
: = incumbency arose from byelection gain
: = incumbent switched allegiance for 1923 nomination
: = other incumbents renominated
: = multiple candidates
Regional analysis
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:90%"
|+ Distribution of candidates, seats and popular vote %, by party by region (1923)
|-
!rowspan="2"|Region
!colspan="7"|Candidates
!style="background:#B8BFFE;" colspan="5"|Seats
!colspan="7"|Vote share (%)
|-
| align="center" |Con
| align="center" |UFO
| align="center" |Lib
| align="center" |Lab
| align="center" |Ind
| align="center" |I-Lib
| align="center" |Prog
| align="center" |Con
| align="center" |UFO
| align="center" |Lib
| align="center" |Lab
| align="center" |Ind
| align="center" |Con
| align="center" |UFO
| align="center" |Lib
| align="center" |Lab
| align="center" |Ind
| align="center" |I-Lib
| align="center" |Prog
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Central Ontario
|19 ||12 ||12 ||1 ||1 ||– ||– ||16 ||– ||3 ||– ||– ||53.12 ||23.84 ||21.44 ||1.54 ||0.07 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Eastern Ontario
|14 ||12 ||9 ||2 ||3 ||– ||– ||11 ||1 ||4 ||– ||1 ||39.87 ||26.89 ||27.44 ||1.93 ||3.87 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Hamilton, Halton and Niagara
|9 ||5 ||8 ||4 ||– ||– ||– ||7 ||2 ||– ||– ||– ||49.64 ||14.86 ||24.64 ||10.86 ||– ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Midwestern Ontario
|20 ||17 ||12 ||3 ||1 ||– ||– ||10 ||8 ||1 ||2 ||– ||42.57 ||31.87 ||18.06 ||6.42 ||1.08 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Northeastern Ontario
|9 ||5 ||8 ||3 ||1 ||– ||– ||5 ||1 ||3 ||– ||– ||43.34 ||14.41 ||35.18 ||6.88 ||0.19 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Northwest Ontario
|3 ||1 ||3 ||3 ||3 ||– ||– ||2 ||– ||– ||2 ||– ||39.85 ||7.90 ||20.52 ||25.81 ||5.92 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Southwestern Ontario
|13 ||14 ||14 ||2 ||1 ||– ||– ||10 ||4 ||2 ||– ||– ||39.44 ||30.24 ||26.87 ||2.54 ||0.91 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Toronto
|10 ||– ||9 ||5 ||– ||2 ||3 ||10 ||– ||– ||– ||– ||72.78 ||– ||11.59 ||5.31 ||– ||3.43 ||6.88
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|York, Peel and Ontario
|6 ||5 ||3 ||– ||2 ||– ||– ||4 ||1 ||1 ||– ||– ||58.58 ||20.97 ||11.91 ||– ||8.54 ||– ||–
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Total
|103 ||71 ||78 ||23 ||12 ||2 ||3 ||75 ||17 ||14 ||4 ||1 ||49.77 ||20.94 ||21.33 ||4.75 ||1.62 ||0.53 ||1.06
|}
MLAs elected
Italicized names indicate members returned by acclamation. Two-tone colour boxes indicate ridings that turned over from the 1919 election, e.g.,
Central Ontario<br />
Eastern Ontario<br />
Hamilton/Halton/Niagara<br />
Midwestern Ontario<br />
Northeastern Ontario<br />
Northwest Ontario<br />
Southwestern Ontario<br />
Toronto<br />
York/Peel/Ontario<br />
Detailed analysis
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Seats and popular vote by party
! Party !! Seats !! Votes !! colspan="3" | Change (pp)
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| || || ||
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Party rankings (1st to 5th place)
! Party !! !!1st !!2nd !!3rd !!4th !!5th
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | ||1 ||74 ||22 ||5 ||1 ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || ||17 ||43 ||11 || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || ||14 ||35 ||27 ||2 ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | ||1 ||3 ||5 ||13 ||1 ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || ||1 ||1 ||1 ||6 ||2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || || ||2 ||1 || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || || ||1 ||1 || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Totals||2 ||109 ||109 ||59 ||10 ||2
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Party candidates in 2nd place
!Party in 1st place !!Con !!UFO !!Lib !!Lab !!Ind !!Pro
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || ||37 ||29 ||4 ||2 ||2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | ||14 || ||3 || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | ||6 ||6 ||1 ||1 || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | ||2 || ||1 || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" | || || ||1 || || ||
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Totals||22 ||43 ||35 ||5 ||2 ||2
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Principal races, according to 1st and 2nd-place results
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Parties !!Seats
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|51
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|35
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|9
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|6
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"| 2
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|2
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|-
|
|
|style="text-align:right;"|1
|-
| colspan="2" | Total
|style="text-align:right;"|109
|}
Incumbents not running for reelection
Sixteen MLAs chose not to stand for re-election:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Riding
!colspan="3"|Incumbent at dissolution and subsequent nominee
!colspan="2"|New MLA
|-
|Algoma
||
|Kenneth Spencer Stover
|Arthur Gladstone Wallis
||
|Arthur Gladstone Wallis
|-
|Elgin East
||
|Malcolm MacVicar
|William F. Smith
||
|Michael McKnight
|-
|Essex South
||
|Milton C. Fox
|John Orville Duke
||
|Adolphus T. Armstrong
|-
|Huron South
||
|Andrew Hicks
|William George Medd
||
|Nelson William Trewartha
|-
|Lennox
||
|Reginald Amherst Fowler
|Charles Wesley Hambly
||
|John Perry Vrooman
|-
|Middlesex North
||
|James C. Brown
|Harold Currie
||
|George Adam Elliott
|-
|Ottawa West
||
|Hammett Pinhey Hill
|Albert Edwin Honeywell
||
|Harold Fisher
|-
|Oxford South
||
|Albert Thomas Walker
|John L. Wright
||
|William Henry Chambers
|-
|Port Arthur
||
|Donald McDonald Hogarth
|Francis Henry Keefer
||
|Francis Henry Keefer
|-
|Riverdale
||
|Joseph McNamara
|
||
|George Oakley
|-
|Russell
||
|Alfred Goulet
|Aurélien Bélanger
||
|Aurélien Bélanger
|-
|Simcoe West
||
|William Torrance Allen
|James Edgar Jamieson
||
|James Edgar Jamieson
|-
|Timiskaming
||
|Thomas Magladery
|Angus John Kennedy
||
|Angus John Kennedy
|-
|Toronto Southeast - B
||
|James Walter Curry
|John Callahan
||
|Edward William James Owens
|-
|Wellington South
||
|Caleb Henry Buckland
|Lincoln Goldie
||
|Lincoln Goldie
|-
|York North
||
|Thomas Herbert Lennox
|William Keith
||
|William Keith
|}
Seats that changed hands
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+ Elections to the 16th Parliament of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1919–1923
|-
!rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Party
!rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"|1919
!colspan="18"|Gain from (loss to)
!rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"|1923
|-
! colspan="2"|Con
! colspan="2"|UFO
! colspan="2"|Lib
! colspan="2"|Lab
! colspan="2"|Ind
! colspan="2"|I-Lib
! colspan="2"|F-Lab
! colspan="2"|F-Lib
! colspan="2"|Sol
|-
|25 || || ||29 || ||13 ||(2) ||9 ||(1) || || ||1 || || || || || ||1 || ||75
|-
|44 || ||(29) || || ||3 ||(2) || || || || || || || || ||1 || || || ||17
|-
|27 ||2 ||(13) ||2 ||(3) || || || || || ||(1) || || || || || || || || ||14
|-
|11 ||1 ||(9) || || || || || || || || || || ||1 || || || || || ||4
|-
|– || || || || ||1 || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||1
|-
|1 || ||(1) || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||–
|-
|1 || || || || || || || ||(1) || || || || || || || || || || ||–
|-
|1 || || || ||(1) || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||–
|-
|1 || ||(1) || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||–
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Total ||111 ||3 ||(53) ||31 ||(4) ||17 ||(4) ||9 ||(2) ||– ||(1) ||1 ||– ||1 ||– ||1 ||– ||1 ||– ||111
|}
There were 64 seats that changed allegiance in the election.
UFO to Conservative
- Carleton
- Dufferin
- Dundas
- Durham East
- Elgin East
- Elgin West
- Essex South
- Grey South
- Haldimand
- Halton
- Hastings East
- Huron South
- Lambton West
- Lanark North
- Lanark South
- Middlesex North
- Norfolk South
- Northumberland East
- Oxford South
- Perth South
- Peterborough East
- Renfrew North
- Simcoe Centre
- Simcoe East
- Simcoe South
- Victoria North
- Victoria South
- Wellington West
- Wentworth South
UFO to Liberal
- Essex North
- Glengarry
Liberal to Conservative
- Brockville
- Nipissing
- Parry Sound
- Perth North
- Prince Edward
- Stormont
- Toronto Northwest - B
- Toronto Southeast - A
- Toronto Southeast - B
- Toronto Southwest - A
- Toronto Southwest - B
- Welland
- Windsor
Liberal to UFO
- Bruce South
- Lincoln
- Oxford North
Liberal to Independent
- Prescott
Labour to Conservative
- Fort William
- Hamilton East
- Hamilton West
- Huron Centre
- London
- Niagara Falls
- Peterborough West
- Sault Ste. Marie
- St. Catharines
Independent-Liberal to Conservative
- Waterloo North
Farmer-Labour to Labour
- Waterloo South
Farmer-Liberal to UFO
- Grey North
Soldier to Conservative
- Riverdale
Conservative to Liberal
- Lennox
- Ottawa West
Conservative to Labour
- Rainy River
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Resulting composition of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Ontario
!colspan="2" rowspan="2"| Source !!colspan="9"|Party
|-
| align="center" |Con
| align="center" |UFO
| align="center" |Lib
| align="center" |Lab
| align="center" |Ind
!Total
|-
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;"|Seats retained ||style="text-align:left;"|Incumbents returned ||16 ||13 ||8 ||1 || ||38
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Open seats held ||5 || ||2 || || ||7
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Acclamation ||1 || || ||1 || ||2
|-
|rowspan="4" style="text-align:left;"|Seats changing hands ||style="text-align:left;"|Incumbents defeated ||45 ||2 ||2 ||1 ||1 ||51
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Open seats gained ||7 || ||2 || || ||9
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Byelection gain held ||1 ||1 || || || ||2
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|Change in affiliation || ||1 || ||1 || ||2
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Total ||75 ||17 ||14 ||4 ||1 ||111
|}
Notable groups of candidates
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Women candidates in the 1923 election
! Riding !! colspan="2"|Candidate !! Votes !! Placed
|-
|Fort William || ||Mrs B.O. Allen ||style="text-align:right;" |1,152 ||3rd
|-
|Toronto Northeast - B || ||Mrs Mary E. Becker||style="text-align:right;" |4,033 ||2nd
|-
|Toronto Northwest - B || ||Edith L. Groves||style="text-align:right;" |3,721 ||2nd
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Candidates returned by acclamation
! Riding !! Party !! Candidate
|-
|Kenora
|
|Peter Heenan
|-
|Kingston
|
|William Folger Nickle
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Dual nominations in the 1923 election
! Riding !! colspan="2"|Candidate !! Votes !! Placed
|-
|rowspan="2"|Ottawa East ||rowspan="2"| ||Joseph Albert Pinard ||style="text-align:right;" |4,635 ||1st
|-
|J. Wilfred Gauvreau||style="text-align:right;" |3,175 ||2nd
|-
|rowspan="2"|Ottawa West ||rowspan="2"| ||Albert Edwin Honeywell ||style="text-align:right;" |6,470 ||2nd
|-
|Arthur Ellis||style="text-align:right;" |1,154 ||4th
|-
|rowspan="2"|Toronto Southeast - A ||rowspan="2"| ||Frederick Hogg ||style="text-align:right;" |656 ||3rd
|-
|Alfred Burgess||style="text-align:right;" |381 ||4th
|}
See also
- Politics of Ontario
- List of Ontario political parties
- Premier of Ontario
- Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)