AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Canada's federal elections

Associated Press

24-04-2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Canadians will vote in federal elections that follow a tumultuous several months defined by U.S. President Donald Trump 's often unpredictable global tariff policies and his calls for Canada to become the 51st U.S. state.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called for Monday's elections in March shortly after taking office to replace former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. His Liberal Party appeared headed for electoral defeat under Trudeau, but Trump's economic and rhetorical broadsides seem to have markedly improved the party's standing among voters.
His chief opposition for a full term is Pierre Poilievre, a populist firebrand and head of the Conservative Party that has been out of power for a decade.
Jagmeet Singh heads the progressive New Democratic Party. Yves-François Blanchet leads Bloc Québécois, a Quebec nationalist party. At the time Parliament was dissolved, the Liberal Party held 152 seats, compared to 120 for Conservatives. Bloc Québécois held 33 seats, all in Quebec, and the NDP held 24. The remaining seats were held by unrecognized parties, independents or were vacant.
Canada is a constitutional monarchy, with Britain's King Charles III serving as ceremonial head of state. The country's electoral system is modeled after the U.K.'s.
Here's a look at how federal elections work in Canada:
Election day
Canada's election will be held Monday. Polling hours vary across Canada's six time zones, although most polls are coordinated to close at 9:30 p.m. EDT, which coincides with Eastern Daylight Time in the U.S. Polls in the Newfoundland Time Zone in the east and the Pacific Time Zone in the west close at 10 p.m. EDT. Some electoral districts span more than one time zone.
What's on the ballot
Voters will elect their local representative to the House of Commons. No other contests will appear on the ballot. Voters do not directly cast ballots for Prime Minister.
How are the prime minister and members of Parliament elected?
A member of the House of Commons will be elected in each of the nation's 343 federal electoral districts, also known as a constituency or a riding. The winner in each district is the candidate who receives the most votes. A majority vote is not required to get elected to Parliament. This is sometimes called a 'first-past-the-post' system.
The leader of the party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Commons will form a new government and serve as prime minister. If no party wins a majority, a party — usually the one with the most seats — can form a minority government but must rely on support from some opposition members. In rare cases, two or more parties might reach a formal agreement to form a coalition government together.
Canada's Parliament has an upper chamber called the Senate, but those members are appointed and do not play a role in determining the prime minister.
Who runs the election?
Unlike in the United States, where federal elections are administered by state and local elections officials, the Canadian federal election is administered on a national level by Elections Canada, an independent, nonpartisan government agency.
Who gets to vote?
Any Canadian citizen who will be at least 18 years old on election day may vote in the federal election. This includes Canadians who live outside the country, as well as those who are incarcerated. The chief electoral officer, the government official responsible for running the election, may not vote.
How are ballots cast?
Canadian voters have several options for casting their ballots either in person or by mail. Most are cast in person on election day at a voter's assigned local polling place. Voters also had the option of voting in person at a local polling place by April 21 or at a local Elections Canada office by April 22. Special polling sites were also available for incarcerated voters on the 12th day before election day and for members of the military. Voters who are unable to vote in person on election day or who live abroad may vote by mail.
How are votes counted?
All ballots are counted by hand by federal election officials in the presence of witnesses, usually campaign or party representatives. Additional details of how votes are counted depend on how the ballots were cast.
Ballots cast in person on election day are counted at each local polling place after polls close. Ballots cast in person before election day and mail ballots cast from within the district are tabulated at the district's local Elections Canada office.
Ballots from incarcerated voters, members of the military, Canadians living overseas and voters who live in Canada but outside their home district (such as some college students) are counted at a centralized Elections Canada facility in Ottawa. In some cases, the counting of these ballots may begin up to 14 days before election day, although the results cannot be released until after polls close.
Are there recounts?
An election in an individual district is subject to a recount if the vote margin is less than one one-thousandth of the total votes cast. In other words, in a district where 100,000 votes are cast, a recount would be required if fewer than 100 votes separated the top two vote-getters. A judge would preside over the recount process. Losing candidates or voters may also request a recount.
When and where are results available?
Elections Canada says it expects to count the 'vast majority' of ballots on election night. Each polling place counts its election day vote by hand after polls close and reports the results to the district's local Elections Canada office, which then posts the results on the Elections Canada website. Results are also released directly to Canadian news organizations.
Results from mail voting and ballots cast at special locations such as military bases and correctional institutions are also reported on the Elections Canada website and released to the news media, but they can take longer to tabulate.
Only preliminary results are available on election night. Vote totals are double-checked in the days following the election, but final, official results typically are not available until about six months after election day, according to Elections Canada.
Elections Canada does not declare winners in any district or in the overall contest for prime minister. Canadian media organizations typically announce winners based on their own independent analysis of election results.
What is The Associated Press' role in Canadian election?
Unlike in U.S. elections, the AP will not compile vote results or declare winners in this year's Canadian elections.