The Latest: Canadians choose their leader in what's become a referendum on Trump

Washington Post

28-04-2025

Canadians decide Monday if new Prime Minister Mark Carney will extend the Liberal Party's decade in power or pick the opposition Conservatives' populist leader Pierre Poilievre to lead the country. The Liberals looked headed for defeat after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped down earlier this year amid rising food and housing prices and soaring immigration. But U.S. President Donald Trump began threatening Canada's economy and sovereignty , infuriating Canadians and generating a surge in nationalism that boosted the Liberals' chances. The winner will face a cost-of-living crisis and Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada, which sends more than 75% of its exports to the U.S. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day.
The Latest:
All ballots are counted by hand by federal election officials in the presence of witnesses, usually campaign or party representatives.
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.
Canada's vast expanse has six time zones, but polls are somewhat synchronized to end at about the same time across the country.
Polls in Newfoundland close at 7 p.m. EDT. Areas just west of that, including Nova Scotia, are on Atlantic Time and vote until 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Many areas across Eastern, Central and Mountain Time all wrap up voting at 9:30 p.m. EDT, as well as in Saskatchewan.
Polls in Pacific Time are open until 10 p.m. EDT.
Other parties are fielding candidates as well.
One is Jagmeet Singh, who heads the progressive New Democratic Party and responded on X to Trump's remarks by telling voters that 'You can protect what makes Canada, Canada. Every New Democrat you send to Ottawa will stand up for our country. And never back down.'
There's also Yves-François Blanchet, who leads Bloc Québécois, a Quebec nationalist party .
In March, Carney called for Parliament to be dissolved to pave the way for the election. At the time, the Liberals held 152 seats and the Conservatives had 120. Bloc Québécois held 33 seats and the NDP held 24. Others 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.
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.
Toronto resident Reid Warren says he voted Liberal because Poilievre 'sounds like mini-Trump to me.' And he says Trump's tariffs are a worry.
'Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade
Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time, and Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada's production south could severely damage the Canadian economy.
Both Carney and Poilievre said that if elected, they would accelerate renegotiations of a free trade deal between Canada and the U.S. to end the uncertainty hurting both of their economies.
Carney has notable experience navigating economic crises after running Canada's central bank and later becoming the first non-U.K. citizen to run the Bank of England.
Poilievre, who has been criticized for not taking a firmer stance against Trump, responded to the U.S. president's post with a post of his own.
'President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box,' he posted. 'Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.'
Poilievre and his wife voted in their suburban district near the nation's capital, Ottawa.
Trump's attacks have put Poilievre and the Conservative Party on the defensive.
'The Americans want to break us so they can own us,' Carney said recently. 'Those aren't just words. That's what's at risk.'
The U.S. president trolled Canadians on social media, suggesting that he himself is on the ballot, repeating that Canada should become the 51st state and incorrectly claiming that the U.S. subsidizes Canada.
'It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!' Trump posted.
Canadians have canceled U.S. vacations, refused to buy U.S. and voted early — a record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before their Election Day.
Canadians were deciding Monday whether to extend the Liberal Party's decade in power by picking new Prime Minister Mark Carney or hand control to the opposition Conservatives and their populist leader Pierre Poilievre . But the election also was a referendum of sorts on someone who isn't even Canadian: Donald Trump.
The U.S. president trolled Canadians on election day with a post on social media suggesting he was on the ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state, incorrectly claiming that the U.S. subsidizes Canada. 'It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!' Trump posted.
Poilievre, who has been criticized for not taking a firmer stance against Trump, responded with a post of his own.
'President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box,' he posted. 'Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.'
Until Trump won a second term and began threatening Canada's economy and sovereignty , the Liberals looked headed for defeat.
Trump's truculence has infuriated many Canadians , leading many to cancel U.S. vacations , refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day.
Trump's attacks also put Poilievre and the Conservative Party on the back foot after they appeared headed for an easy victory months ago, and led to a surge in nationalism that has helped the Liberals flip the election narrative.
'The Americans want to break us so they can own us,' Carney said recently, laying out what he saw as the election's stakes. 'Those aren't just words. That's what's at risk.'
Polls opened across Canada as the country grapples with the aftermath of a fatal car ramming attack on Saturday in Vancouver . The tragedy prompted the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues.
Poilievre walked hand in hand with his wife to the ballot box. 'Get out to vote, for a change,' he said.
Poilievre had hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged.
But then Trump became the dominant issue, and Poilievre's similarities to the bombastic president could cost him.
'He appeals to the same sense of grievance,' Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said of the Conservative leader. 'It's like Trump standing there saying, 'I am your retribution.''
Bothwell added: 'The Liberals ought to pay him. Trump talking is not good for the Conservatives.'
Foreign policy hasn't dominated a Canadian election this much since 1988 when, ironically, free trade with the United States was the prevailing issue.
Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time. And more than 75% of its exports go to the U.S., so Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada's production south could severely damage the Canadian economy.
Both Carney and Poilievre said that if elected, they would accelerate renegotiations of a free trade deal between Canada and the U.S. in a bid to end the uncertainty hurting both of their economies.
Carney has notable experience navigating economic crises after running Canada's central bank and later becoming the first non-U.K. citizen to run the Bank of England.
Trump dialed back his talk of Canada becoming the 51st state during the campaign until last week, when he said Canada 'would cease to exist as a country' if the U.S. stopped buying its goods. He also said he's not just trolling Canada when he says it should become a state.
In response to the threats to Canadian sovereignty, Carney pleaded with voters to deliver him a strong mandate to deal with Trump.
'President Trump has some obsessive ideas, and that is one,' Carney said of his annexation threat. 'It's not a joke. It's his very strong desire to make this happen. It's one of the reasons why this crisis is so serious.'
Reid Warren, a Toronto resident, said he voted Liberal because Poilievre 'sounds like mini-Trump to me.' And he said Trump's tariffs are a worry.
'Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade being thrown from the States is great, but it's definitely created some turmoil, that's for sure,' he said.