Canadians to elect new govt on April 28

Canadians will vote today to elect a new government. They will elect a 343-member House of Commons. A party or combination of parties securing 172 seats will form the government. A total of 28 million registered voters will exercise their franchise. The number of constituencies, known as ridings, has increased by five since the last election in 2021.

The election will be managed by Elections Canada, an independent body responsible for overseeing the voting process. Ballots will be counted manually under supervision, with results being posted on the Elections Canada website roughly 30 minutes after polls close.

With the departure of long-time Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the two main



contenders for the role are Mark Carney from the Liberal Party and Pierre Poilievre from the Conservative Party. Carney currently holds a slight lead in the polls, but the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, has been narrowing the gap in recent days. Carney was sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister on March 14 this year.

In the dissolved parliament, the Liberals held 152 seats and governed primarily through a supply-and-confidence agreement with the New Democratic Party, a left-wing progressive group with 24 seats. However, the NDP ended the agreement in September. The Conservatives were the official opposition in the last parliament, securing 120 seats.