The 1875 Ontario general election was the third general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on January 18, 1875, to elect the 88 Members of the 3rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario ("MLAs").

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat, increased its majority in the Legislature for its second term in government.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by Matthew Crooks Cameron lost four of its seats.

Electoral reforms The Legislative Assembly had passed several pieces of legislation that impacted on the current election:

Members of the House of Commons of Canada were disqualified from holding a provincial seat. The prior practice of voting by open declaration was abolished. This election allowed voters to vote secretly, using a marked ballot.

Redistribution of ridings The Assembly was increased from 82 to 88 members, through the following changes:

Abolished ridings New ridingsDivisions of ridingsEssexEssex North Essex SouthLambtonLambton East Lambton WestCreation of riding from parts of othersDufferinformed from parts of Cardwell, Grey South, Wellington North, Wellington Centre and Simcoe SouthMuskoka and Parry Soundtaken from Simcoe NorthMergers of ridingsLincoln NiagaraLincolnReorganization of ridingsGrey North Grey SouthGrey North Grey East Grey SouthHuron North Huron SouthHuron East Huron South Huron WestBothwell KentKent East Kent WestSimcoe North Simcoe SouthSimcoe East Simcoe South Simcoe WestWellington Centre Wellington North Wellington SouthWellington Centre Wellington South Wellington West

! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! colspan=4 | MLAs ! colspan=4 | Votes |- ! Candidates !1871 !1875 !± !# ! ± !% ! ± (pp)

|style="text-align:left;"|Oliver Mowat | 84 || 43 || 49 || 6 || 90,809 || 22,443 || 47.55% || 4.75

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Matthew Crooks Cameron | 81 || 38 || 35 || 3 || 87,802 || 27,876 || 45.98% || 0.13

| 1 || – || 1 || 1 || 1,553 || 1,553 || 0.81% || New

| || 2 || – || 2 || 2 || 2,129 || 2,129 || 1.11% || New

| || 1 || – || 1 || 1 || 1,125 || 1,125 || 0.59% || New

| || 1 || 1 || – || 1 || 791 || 325 || 0.41% || 0.44

| || 11 || – || – || – || 6,757 || 5,454 || 3.54% || 2.54 |- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total |181||82 ! " colspan="2"|88 ! " colspan="2"|190,966 ! " colspan="2"| 100.00% |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Voter turnout | 190,966 | 60,255 | 67.28 | 4.35 |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Registered electors | 283,856 | 76,139 | colspan="2"| |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2" colspan="3" |Acclamations | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" | ||8 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" | ||1

+ Seats and popular vote by party Party Seats Votes Change (pp)

Synopsis of results + Results by riding - 1875 Ontario general election Riding Winning party Turnout VotesNameorder is as given in EO reports 1871Party Votes Share Margin#Margin% Lib Con Total   Addington Lib Lib 1,453 60.77% 515 21.54% 67.91% 1,453 938 – – – – – 2,391 Algoma Con Lib 510 64.31% 227 28.63% 91.25% 510 283 – – – – – 793 Brant North Lib Lib 747 54.17% 115 8.34% 62.54% 747 632 – – – – – 1,379 Brant South Con Libacclaimed Brockville Con Lib 1,247 51.51% 73 3.02% 71.35% 1,247 1,174 – – – – – 2,421 Bruce North Lib Lib 1,232 55.95% 262 11.90% 68.75% 1,232 – – – – – 970 2,202 Bruce South Lib Lib 1,864 65.87% 898 31.73% 49.26% 1,864 966 – – – – – 2,830 Cardwell CL Con 1,208 52.80% 128 5.59% 66.82% 1,080 1,208 – – – – – 2,288 Carleton Con Conacclaimed Cornwall Con Con 499 50.25% 5 0.50% 68.44% 494 499 – – – – – 993 Dufferin New Con 982 46.06% 255 11.96% 66.23% 33 2,099 – – – – – 2,132 Dundas Lib Con 1,458 51.67% 94 3.33% 74.99% 1,364 1,458 – – – – – 2,822 Durham East Con Con 1,454 55.22% 275 10.44% 69.73% 1,179 1,454 – – – – – 2,633 Durham West Lib Lib 1,257 53.95% 184 7.90% 71.52% 1,257 1,073 – – – – – 2,330 Elgin East Lib Lib 1,924 50.31% 24 0.63% 73.85% 1,924 1,900 – – – – – 3,824 Elgin West Lib Con 1,101 50.23% 10 0.46% 78.01% 1,091 1,101 – – – – – 2,192 Essex North New Con 1,209 61.56% 454 23.12% 54.37% – 1,209 – – – – 755 1,964 Essex South New Con 1,014 51.19% 47 2.37% 69.61% 967 1,014 – – – – – 1,981 Frontenac Con Con 884 59.61% 285 19.22% 55.92% 599 884 – – – – – 1,483 Glengarry Con I-Lib 1,125 51.07% 47 2.13% 74.08% 1,078 – – – 1,125 – – 2,203 Grenville South Con Lib 1,136 53.36% 143 6.72% 71.04% 1,136 993 – – – – – 2,129 Grey East New Con 1,297 67.55% 674 35.10% 53.42% 623 1,297 – – – – – 1,920 Grey North Con Con 1,431 53.40% 182 6.79% 67.59% 1,249 1,431 – – – – – 2,680 Grey South Con Lib 1,017 46.27% 293 13.33% 69.29% 1,017 457 – – – – 724 2,198 Haldimand Lib Lib 1,476 53.87% 212 7.74% 75.84% 1,476 1,264 – – – – – 2,740 Halton Lib Lib 1,609 52.58% 158 5.16% 68.18% 1,609 1,451 – – – – – 3,060 Hamilton Lib Libacclaimed Hastings East Con I-Con 1,064 63.37% 493 29.36% 58.20% – 615 – – – 1,064 – 1,679 Hastings North Con Con 960 55.14% 179 10.28% 74.62% 781 960 – – – – – 1,741 Hastings West Con Con 720 36.87% 102 5.22% 65.94% 615 720 – – – – 618 1,953 Huron East New Lib 1,530 52.92% 169 5.85% 70.89% 1,530 1,361 – – – – – 2,891 Huron South Lib Lib 1,440 51.39% 78 2.78% 72.53% 1,440 1,362 – – – – – 2,802 Huron West New Lib 1,595 51.48% 92 2.97% 68.59% 1,595 1,503 – – – – – 3,098 Kent East New Lib 1,425 51.76% 97 3.52% 66.27% 1,425 1,328 – – – – – 2,753 Kent West New Con 1,440 52.67% 146 5.34% 58.64% 1,294 1,440 – – – – – 2,734 Kingston Con Con 935 54.17% 144 8.34% 64.55% – 935 – 791 – – – 1,726 Lambton East New Lib 1,443 53.35% 181 6.69% 70.74% 1,443 1,262 – – – – – 2,705 Lambton West New Lib 1,372 64.53% 618 29.07% 57.23% 1,372 754 – – – – – 2,126 Lanark North Lib Con 913 50.72% 26 1.44% 80.07% 887 913 – – – – – 1,800 Lanark South Con Con 1,234 53.68% 169 7.35% 72.57% 1,065 1,234 – – – – – 2,299 Leeds North and Grenville North Con Con 1,035 61.57% 389 23.14% 66.63% – 1,035 – – – – 646 1,681 Leeds South Con Con 1,481 58.70% 439 17.40% 79.87% 1,042 1,481 – – – – – 2,523 Lennox Con I-Con 1,065 54.36% 555 28.33% 53.47% 510 – – – – 1,065 384 1,959 Lincoln New Lib 2,065 51.38% 111 2.76% 75.25% 2,065 1,954 – – – – – 4,019 London Con Con 1,311 52.84% 141 5.68% 60.39% 1,170 1,311 – – – – – 2,481 Middlesex East Con Con 2,185 53.11% 256 6.22% 72.87% 1,929 2,185 – – – – – 4,114 Middlesex North Lib Con 1,565 54.89% 279 9.79% 72.77% 1,286 1,565 – – – – – 2,851 Middlesex West Lib Lib 1,415 54.30% 224 8.60% 71.36% 1,415 1,191 – – – – – 2,606 Monck Con Lib 1,412 56.21% 312 12.42% 74.47% 1,412 1,100 – – – – – 2,512 Muskoka and Parry Sound New Lib 839 58.63% 247 17.26% 65.52% 839 592 – – – – – 1,431 Norfolk North Lib Lib 1,417 52.19% 119 4.38% 75.77% 1,417 1,298 – – – – – 2,715 Norfolk South Lib Con 1,293 58.27% 367 16.54% 64.71% – 1,293 – – – – 926 2,219 Northumberland East Lib Lib 1,551 48.27% 103 3.21% 74.62% 1,765the incumbent William Wilson Webb received 214 votes 1,448 – – – – – 3,213 Northumberland West Lib Lib 1,251 52.59% 123 5.17% 70.78% 1,251 1,128 – – – – – 2,379 Ontario North Lib Lib 1,858 51.84% 132 3.68% 68.24% 1,858 1,726 – – – – – 3,584 Ontario South Lib Con 1,614 50.52% 33 1.03% 72.91% 1,581 1,614 – – – – – 3,195 Ottawa Lib Lib 852 35.35% 52 2.16% 54.25% 1,652the incumbent Daniel John O'Donoghue was returned 758 – – – – – 2,410 Oxford North Lib Libacclaimed Oxford South Lib Lib 1,305 44.27% 43 1.46% 66.05% 1,305 1,262 – – – – 381 2,948 Peel Con Lib 1,349 51.98% 103 3.97% 72.95% 1,349 1,246 – – – – – 2,595 Perth North Con Lib 1,847 51.69% 140 3.92% 68.16% 1,847 1,726the incumbent Thomas Mayne Daly received 1,707 votes – – – – – 3,573 Perth South Con Lib 1,508 53.23% 183 6.46% 70.98% 1,508 1,325 – – – – – 2,833 Peterborough East Con Con 759 52.13% 62 4.26% 67.47% 697 759 – – – – – 1,456 Peterborough West Lib Lib 970 51.19% 45 2.37% 71.27% 970 925 – – – – – 1,895 Prescott Con Con 988 62.57% 397 25.14% 59.61% 591 988 – – – – – 1,579 Prince Edward Lib Lib 1,762 50.91% 63 1.82% 77.90% 1,762 1,699 – – – – – 3,461 Renfrew North Con Con 894 53.44% 115 6.87% 76.71% 779 894 – – – – – 1,673 Renfrew South Con Libacclaimed Russell Con Con 1,066 61.30% 393 22.60% 49.10% 673 1,066 – – – – – 1,739 Simcoe East New Con 1,133 54.00% 168 8.01% 73.90% 965 1,133 – – – – – 2,098 Simcoe South Con Con 1,057 58.17% 297 16.35% 67.15% 760 1,057 – – – – – 1,817 Simcoe West New Con 1,353 51.15% 61 2.31% 67.63% 1,292 1,353 – – – – – 2,645 Stormont Con Lib 948 53.77% 133 7.54% 77.19% 948 815 – – – – – 1,763 Toronto East Con Con 1,849 53.83% 270 7.86% 54.42% 1,579 1,849 – – – – – 3,435 Toronto West Lib Con 2,145 50.71% 60 1.42% 55.31% 2,085 2,145 – – – – – 4,230 Victoria North Con Lib 724 50.14% 4 0.28% 68.60% 724 720 – – – – – 1,444 Victoria South Lib Lib 1,326 56.38% 300 12.76% 68.29% 1,326 1,026 – – – – – 2,352 Waterloo North Lib Lib 1,363 67.71% 713 35.42% 70.31% 1,363 650 – – – – – 2,013 Waterloo South Lib Libacclaimed Welland Lib Lib 1,719 51.16% 78 2.32% 69.48% 1,719 1,641 – – – – – 3,360 Wellington Centre Lib Libacclaimed Wellington South Lib Libacclaimed Wellington West New L-Con 1,553 51.63% 98 3.26% 73.82% 1,455 – 1,553 – – – – 3,008 Wentworth North Lib Con 1,222 50.48% 23 0.95% 73.72% 1,199 1,222 – – – – – 2,421 Wentworth South Lib Lib 944 71.14% 561 42.28% 44.70% 944 383 – – – – – 1,327 York East Lib Lib 1,266 54.26% 199 8.53% 63.16% 1,266 1,067 – – – – – 2,333 York North Con Lib 1,835 57.69% 489 15.37% 65.36% 1,835 – – – – – 1,346 3,181 York West Lib Libacclaimed

= open seat = turnout is above provincial average = winning candidate was in previous Legislature = incumbent had switched allegiance = previously incumbent in another riding = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature = incumbency arose from byelection gain = other incumbents renominated = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada = multiple candidates

Analysis

+ Party candidates in 2nd place Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total Lib Con Ind Con-L8 1 37 3 491 28 1 4 1 35 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 Total9 32 39 7 1 88

+ Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party Parties Accl 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th8 41 32 2 1 1 34 39 6 1 2 1 1 7 3 1 1

+ Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario Source PartyLibConL-ConI-ConI-LibTotalSeats retained Incumbents returned 20 9 29Returned by acclamation6 1 Open seats held1 8 9Byelection loss reversed2 1 3Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated3 7 10Open seats gained4 2 1 1 8Byelection gains held5 5Incumbent changing allegiance 1 2Returned by acclamation1 1New seats New MLAs4 5 9Previously incumbent in another riding3 2 1 6Total49 35 1 2 1 88

MLAs elected by region and riding Party designations are as follows:

Northern Ontario

Ottawa Valley

Saint Lawrence Valley

Central Ontario

Georgian Bay

Wentworth/Halton/Niagara

Midwestern Ontario

Southwestern Ontario

Peel/York/Ontario

Controverted elections The following constituencies had elections which were declared void, for which writs of election were issued and elections held prior to the opening of the first session of the new Legislature: