The 1920 Manitoba general election was held on June 29, 1920 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election since the Winnipeg General Strike, which had violently divided the people of Winnipeg, Manitoba's capital and largest city, into two camps. Partly to soften this polarization, a form of proportional representation was adopted in Winnipeg, and the 1920 Manitoba election was the first North American government election above the city level to use proportional representation. This was the first election where single transferable voting was used to elect Winnipeg MLAs, now ten in number."Events in Manitoba History: Proportional Voting (1920-1957)" https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/events/proportionalvoting.shtml accessed August 19, 2025Evidence given by Ronald Hooper to the 1936 House of Commons Committees, 18th Parliament, 1st Session : Special Committee on Franchise and Elections Acts, vol. 1. page 102 https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.com_HOC_1801_2_1/146 accessed August 18, 2025
It was also the first Manitoba provincial election to allow women, excepting Treaty Indians, to vote and to run as candidates. Edith Rogers, a Metis, was elected in Winnipeg, becoming the first woman elected to the Manitoba Legislature.
The election produced a minority government, with no group holding a majority of seats in the legislature. Norris's Liberals had more seats than any other party, 21 seats out of 55, so were given power. The government survived only two years.
Background
Between the previous 1915 election and the 1920 campaign, Manitoba experienced profound social and cultural change. Since the formal introduction of partisan politics in 1888, Manitoba had been dominated by the Liberal and Conservative parties, which governed the province in succession. After World War I, new political groups and interests emerged to threaten the two-party system.
The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 brought labour issues to the forefront of provincial concern and radicalized many working-class Manitobans. In previous elections, labour and socialist parties were a marginal force. Going into the 1920 election, they stood to make significant electoral gains. In the rural constituencies, several candidates ran for office as farmer representatives, or as "people's candidates" opposed to partisan government.
Against this backdrop, the governing Liberal Party of Tobias Norris ran a defensive campaign. Supported by the Winnipeg Free Press, the Liberals portrayed themselves as a stabilizing force amid the province's changes.
The 1920 election is notable for its use of single transferable voting (STV) in the City of Winnipeg. Previously, the city had been divided into three two-member constituencies, each seat elected in a separate "first past the post" election.
Starting in the 1920 election, Winnipeg was covered by a city-wide ten-member constituency, in which each voter had one vote. The method of election was the STV system of proportional representation. In the world, this was the largest number of legislators elected by STV in any district up to that time.Farrell and McAllister, Australian electoral systems, p. 61 Winnipeg would use STV to elect its MLAs until 1958.
Winnipeg's change to STV was done in an attempt to calm the political waters, which might have been roiled up even more if majority government was granted to a party that did not have majority support.House of Commons Committees, 18th Parliament, 1st Session : Special Committee on Franchise and Elections Acts, vol. 1, p. 102 https://archive.org/stream/nationalmunicipa37natirich/nationalmunicipa37natirich_djvu.txt
Outcome
The election resulted in a fragmented parliament, with no group holding majority of seats in the legislature. Norris's Liberals remained the largest party, but were reduced to a minority government with 21 seats out of 55. The party remained in office until 1922, but unwilling or unable to find joint cause with the other factions, it did little in the way of legislative initiatives.
Twelve "farmer" and "independent farmer" members were elected in rural constituencies. These candidates were a heterogeneous group and did not run a united campaign. While not a "political party" in the traditional sense, they formed a functional caucus group in the legislature. Some members of this group later joined the political wing of the United Farmers of Manitoba, which took power in the next election.
In Winnipeg's ten seats, Liberal candidates took four seats and Conservatives two. Labour made a good showing there as well. Four different working-class and left-wing parties ran candidates in Winnipeg and altogether ran ten candidates, electing four.
The Labour Party won an impressive victory in Winnipeg, taking two seats. Party leader Fred Dixon received 1100 votes in the First Count, a lead of more than 7,000 votes ahead of his nearest rival. His vote tally was more than twice the number needed to take a seat (the quota). His surplus were not wasted but under the rules of STV, it was transferred to other candidates. Many went to other DLP candidates, and Ivens then exceeded quota and was declared elected.
Leftists were rewarded with four seats of the 10 Winnipeg seats. Elected were Dixon and William Ivens of the Dominion Labour Party, George Armstrong of the Socialist Party of Canada, and John Queen of the Social Democratic Party. SPC's Robert B. Russell narrowly failed to win a second seat for his party. A candidate of the Ex-Soldiers and Ex-Sailors Party of Manitoba also campaigned with the Labour candidates in Winnipeg. When he was eliminated, his votes went mostly to the remaining candidates of the DLP, SPC and SDP.
Ivens, Armstrong, Queen and Russell were all serving prison sentences at the time of the election, due to their leadership of the Winnipeg General Strike. Many Winnipegers believed the prison sentences were politically motivated, and the issue was a rallying cry for labour in the campaign.
Seven other labour MLAs were elected in the rest of the province, making the Labour group the third largest in the legislature.
The Conservative Party managed a minor recovery from its disastrous showing in 1915 and won eight seats under its new leader, Richard G. Willis. Willis himself was not elected.
Three independents were also elected to the legislature in rural districts.
The first woman was elected to the Legislature in this election. Edith Rogers was also the first Indigenous woman in the Manitoba Legislature.
Party results
PartyParty leader# ofcandidatesMembers electedPopular vote19151920% change#%% change Liberal Tobias Norris 40 21-47.5% 35.1%-20% - 12 14.1% Labour (DLP) Fred Dixon12 9 17.7% Socialist Party 4 1 2.8% Social Democratic (1)11 1- Conservative Richard G. Willis 5 8+60.0% 18.5%-14.5%Independents/others (1) 1 3+200% 2.6% Total 47 55+17.0% 100%
Note:
(1) SDP popular vote included in "Independents/others".
Riding results
Arthur: (incumbent) John Williams (L) 891 Duncan Lloyd McLeod (C-Farmer) 881
Assiniboia: William Bayley (DLP/Labour) 2054 (incumbent) John W. Wilton (Ind) 1941
Beautiful Plains: George Little (Farmer) accl.
Birtle: (incumbent) George Malcolm (L) 995 Sam Larcombe (Farmer) 861
Brandon City: Albert Edward Smith (Brandon Labour Party/Labour) 2007 (incumbent) Stephen Emmett Clement (L) 1403 Brig-Gen. James Kircaldy (C) 1245
Carillon: Maurice Duprey (Farmer) 973 (incumbent) Albert Prefontaine (C) 925
Cypress: William Spinks (C) 1487 (incumbent) Andrew W. Myles (L) 1307
Dauphin: George Palmer (Labour) 1466 (incumbent) William J. Harrington (L) 1044
Deloraine: (incumbent) Robert Stirton Thornton (L) 1503 J.C.W. Reid (C) 1188
Dufferin: (incumbent) Edward August (L) 1478 Alexander Morrison (C) 1401
Emerson: Dmytro Yakimischak (Farmer) 989 Roy Whitman (C) 925 (incumbent) John D. Baskerville (L) 756
Ethelbert: Nicholas Hryhorczuk (Independent Farmer) 1271 Ernest A. Marcroft (Farmer) 684 James Guiszdaski (L) 110
Fairford: Albert Kirvan (L) 241 Gabriel Gilbert Serkan (L) 240 Oliver Calverley (Ind) 236 A.F. Carpenter (Ind) 137 J. Matheson (Ind) 121
Fisher: Henry Mabb (Independent Farmer) 443 J.W. Arsenyth (L) 362 A.J. Gamache (L) 214
Gilbert Plains: (incumbent) William Findlater (L) 735 R.J. Dalglish (Ind) 715
Gimli: Gudmundur Fjelsted (Farmer) 1359 (incumbent) Taras Ferley (L) 1242
Gladstone: (incumbent) James Armstrong (L) 1327 Wesley Lobb (Farmer) 1147
Glenwood: William Robson (Independent Farmer) 1149 (incumbent) James Breakey (L) 1145
Hamiota: (incumbent) John Henry McConnell (L) 1109 William Ferguson (C) 762
Iberville: (incumbent) Arthur Boivin (Ind) accl.
Kildonan & St. Andrews: Charles Tanner (DLP/Labour) 1184 David Morrison (L) 876 T. McConnell (Farmer) 852
Killarney: Samuel Fletcher (Farmer) 1072 (incumbent) Samuel M. Hayden (L) 676
Lakeside: (incumbent) Charles Duncan McPherson (L) 1104 Edwin Herbert Muir (C) 1081
Lansdowne: (incumbent) Tobias Norris (L) 1752 Harvey Hicks (C) 914
La Verendrye: (incumbent) Philippe Talbot (Ind) 1023 L.R. Magnum (Farmer) 709
Manitou: John S. Ridley (C) 1185 George Compton (Farmer) 926 (incumbent) George Armstrong (L) 901
Minnedosa: (incumbent) George Grierson (L) 1296 W.T. Bielby (Farmer) 1029
Morden and Rhineland: John Kennedy (C) 814 Howard Winkler (L) 752
Morris: William Clubb (Farmer) 930 Alex Ayotte (Farmer) 765 Frederick J. Last (Ind) 251
Mountain: (incumbent) James Baird (L) 1304 Andrew Young (Farmer) 1178
Norfolk: Reuben Waugh (C) 1090 (incumbent) John Graham (L) 873 John H. Wright (Farmer) 503
Portage la Prairie: Fawcett Taylor (C) 1306 (incumbent) Ewan McPherson (L) 1019
Roblin: Henry Richardson (Farmer) 991 Frederic Newton (C) 887
Rockwood: William McKinnell (Farmer) 978 (incumbent) Arthur Lobb (L) 977 Thomas Scott (C) 638
Rupertsland: (incumbent) John Morrison (L) accl.
Russell: (incumbent) William W.W. Wilson (L) 1274 R.J. Brown (Farmer) 642 Albert Lannigan (Ind) 593
St. Boniface: Joseph Bernier (Ind-C) 1434 John Power Howden (L) 942 (incumbent) Joseph Dumas (L) 730 Christopher R. Rice (Ind) 675 Tony Hoornaert (Ind) 404
St. Clements: Matthew Stanbridge (Labour) 977 (incumbent) Donald A. Ross (L-Ind) 850 H. McLennan (Farmer) 445
St. George: Albert Kristjansson (Labour) 901 (incumbent) Skuli Sigfusson (L) 784
Ste. Rose: (incumbent) Joseph Hamelin (C) 878 D.J. Hill (Ind) 745 Z.H. Rheaume (L) 488
Springfield: Arthur Moore (Labour) 987 Isaac Cook (Farmer) 928 E.D.R. Bissett (L) 352 E.H. Dugard (Farmer) 123
Swan River: Robert Emmond (People's Independent Party/Farmer) 1163 (incumbent) William H. Sims (L) 544
The Pas: (incumbent) Edward Brown (L) 560 Allan Norgrove (Labour) 126
Turtle Mountain: (incumbent) George William McDonald (L) 1022 Richard G. Willis (C) 1006
Virden: (incumbent) George Clingan (L) 1313 Reginald Arthur Knight (Farmer) 1022
Winnipeg election results