Federal Elections

Canadian citizens have the right to vote in federal elections if they are at least 18 years old on voting day and are on the voters' list. Federal elections must be held at least every four years — by law, on a fixed date: the third Monday of October. An election can also be called earlier in certain situations.

Elections Canada, a neutral agency of Parliament, runs federal elections. It keeps the National Register of Electors — a database of Canadian citizens qualified to vote. Once an election is called, registered voters receive a voter information card in the mail telling them when and where to vote, and how to contact their local Elections Canada office.

Voting in Canada is by secret ballot. No one — not an employer, a union, a family member, or anyone else — has the right to know how you voted or to watch you mark your ballot. You may choose to share your vote, but no one can require you to.

Canada is divided into electoral districts, also known as ridings or constituencies — there are now more than 338 of them, and the number grows as the population grows. Each riding elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons. Most candidates belong to a political party, but some run as independents, with no party affiliation.

Canada uses the first-past-the-post system: in each riding, the candidate who receives the most votes wins the seat — even without a majority of all votes cast. Voters choose one candidate by marking an X on the ballot; the ballot lists the candidates in the voter's own riding, not party leaders from across the country.

There are several ways to vote: at your polling station on election day, at advance polls if you will be away or busy, or by mail using a special ballot from Elections Canada. Polling stations are set up so that voting is accessible and private.

After an election, the party with the most seats in the House of Commons is usually invited to form the government, and its leader becomes Prime Minister. If that party holds at least half of the seats, it is a majority government; if it holds fewer than half, it is a minority government and must rely on support from other parties to pass laws.

The Prime Minister and Cabinet govern only as long as they keep the confidence of the House of Commons. If the government loses a confidence vote — for example, on the budget — it usually must resign or ask for a new election. This is the heart of responsible government.

The party with the second most seats becomes the Official Opposition, also called His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The role of opposition parties is to peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals — holding the government to account is a vital part of Canadian democracy.