A byelection has been called for the federal riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith, the Prime Minister's Office announced Sunday.

The B.C. riding was formerly held by New Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson. She resigned in January to run in a provincial byelection in the riding of Nanaimo, a vote she won.

The Nanaimo-Ladysmith vote, scheduled May 6, will be the fourth federal byelection of the year, after three were decided in February.

In the Feb. 25 byelection, voters preserved the Conservatives' long string of wins in Ontario's York-Simcoe electing Scot Davidson. The Liberals, with candidate Rachel Bendayan, regained Montreal's Outremont riding, held by former NDP leader Tom Mulcair before he resigned as an MP last August.

Current NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh earned a seat in the House of Commons with a win in Burnaby South, vacated last September by former New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart, now Vancouver's mayor.

