Canada’s Crucial Election: Navigating Leadership Amid Uncertainty

Who can vote and what’s on the ballot?

All Canadian citizens, including incarcerated individuals and expatriates, are allowed to vote, with one exception: the chief electoral officer, the impartial official appointed by Parliament to oversee elections, does not participate in voting during their ten-year term.

Traditionally, the governor general, who represents King Charles in Canada, refrains from voting to maintain political neutrality.

Voters have one main duty: to choose their local representative in the House of Commons, Canada’s legislative body. The new Parliament will consist of 343 members, an increase by five from the previous election due to population growth.

Canada employs a “first-past-the-post” voting system, where the candidate with the highest number of votes wins the seat, irrespective of whether they achieve a majority.

This election does not include voting for referendums or other positions.

What issues are at stake?

President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods and his persistent suggestions for Canada to become the 51st state have shaped the campaign significantly.

Many Canadians see this election as a referendum on who can effectively manage relations with Mr. Trump while also devising solutions to mitigate the economic damage caused by the tariffs.

Polls indicate that many believe Mr. Carney is better equipped to confront Mr. Trump, helping the Liberal Party overcome a previous double-digit deficit against the Conservatives.

Inflation, notably the rising costs of groceries and soaring housing prices, were issues that Mr. Poilievre initially leveraged for what seemed to be a guaranteed election win, until Mr. Trump’s criticisms shifted public sentiment back toward the Liberals.

Both the Liberals and Conservatives promise tax reductions, and amid threats to national sovereignty, both parties commit to increasing defense expenditures.

Issues such as climate change, significant in past elections, have garnered comparatively limited attention, as have concerns related to Indigenous communities, an area important to Mr. Trudeau.

How do I participate in the vote?

Most Canadians have received mail notifications about their polling locations and details for four days of advance voting which started on April 18. Elections Canada, the impartial agency overseeing the election, offers an online service for individuals who might have incorrect information or who didn’t receive ballots.

Having a card makes voting simpler, but it is not mandatory.

(Approximately 7.3 million Canadians voted in advance, from April 18 to April 21, a 25 percent increase from the previous election.)

Those living outside Canada or who will be away from their communities on Election Day or during advance voting can apply for a mail-in ballot until April 22, which can also be submitted at any election office.

Any ballots received by Elections Canada in Ottawa after 6 p.m. Eastern time on voting day will not be counted.

Who are the party leaders?

Mark Carney, 60, the leader of the Liberal Party and current prime minister since early March, is a newcomer to politics but has an extensive background in central banking and global finance.

Pierre Poilievre, 45, the leader of the Conservative Party, has spent much of his life in politics and is familiar to voters, having carefully crafted his political agenda and public persona.

Additionally, two other candidates are competing to maintain their parties’ presence in Parliament: Jagmeet Singh of the New Democrats, who has concentrated his campaign on healthcare and is experiencing the lowest level of support since 2000, and Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Québécois, which only runs candidates in Quebec. The Green Party is also fielding candidates in several districts nationwide.

However, Poilievre and Carney are generally recognized as the main contenders for the prime ministership.

How is the prime minister elected?

It’s not a direct vote. Generally, the party that gains a plurality of seats in the House of Commons will request the governor general’s permission to form the government. The leader of that party becomes the prime minister and selects a cabinet, typically from among the party’s members in the House of Commons.

The prime minister does not need to be a member of Parliament. Mark Carney took over from Justin Trudeau last month after being elected leader of the Liberal Party. He is now contesting his first election, aiming to represent a middle-class suburb of Ottawa, rather than the wealthy area where he resides alongside many diplomats.

A dominant issue in the campaign

Trump’s tariffs on Canada and his continual suggestions for annexing the nation as a 51st state have overshadowed the electoral landscape before voting began and have continued to be a focal point throughout the campaign. Many Canadians view this election as a measure of who can best manage relations with Trump while creating strategies to lessen the economic fallout for their country.

Inflation, especially regarding food prices, along with rising housing costs, are significant concerns that Mr. Poilievre has leveraged to gain momentum in what seemed like a certain path to election victory. Both the Liberal and Conservative parties are advocating for tax reductions.

As the nation’s sovereignty faces challenges, leaders have committed to increasing military expenditures.

Climate change, which dominated discussions in the past three elections, has seen limited focus this time, as have matters pertaining to Indigenous peoples, another priority for Mr. Trudeau.

When will the results be available?

Canada spans six time zones, but polling stations generally close at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time to maintain consistency. The farthest province, British Columbia, wraps up half an hour later at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Election results are anticipated to be released on the evening of April 28.

Voting is conducted with paper ballots that are manually counted at each polling location by Elections Canada staff. Candidates can appoint individuals to observe the counting process. Counting machines are not utilized.

The results from polling stations are communicated to Elections Canada’s headquarters in Ottawa, which publishes them online in real-time.

Since ballot boxes remain at their original locations rather than being sent to centralized counting centers, preliminary results begin to emerge shortly after the polls close. However, the complete tally can take a while, even after a general outcome has been established.

Special ballots for mail-in voters, inmates, Canadians abroad, and military personnel typically are not counted until after Election Day to verify that no one voted in person.

What happens if no party achieves a majority?

Canada does not typically form coalition governments like those seen in Europe, where multiple parties collaborate to run the government. The only notable exception was during World War I, when Conservatives and some Liberals in the House of Commons joined to create a coalition to address deepening divisions over conscription.

However, minority governments are common, formed by the party that secures the most seats. These governments often depend on the informal backing of other parties for legislative support. Yet, they face the ongoing threat of being toppled by a lost confidence vote in the House of Commons or being defeated on financial bills.

For example, in 1979, a Progressive Conservative government lasted just 66 days before falling, which triggered another election.

After the 2021 election, the New Democrats agreed to support Mr. Trudeau in exchange for the Liberal Party implementing some of their policies, although they were never officially a part of his government.

Matina Stevis-Gridneff contributed to this report.