The 2025 federal election is coming to a close, as Canadians finish voting on which party will form the country’s next government. The process will also appoint a prime minister to lead Canada during these turbulent times.
As one of the most consequential votes in Canadian history, this election is set to the backdrop of increased tensions relating to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade war. On Monday, Trump continued to be the centre of attention following his post on Truth Social, as he implied that Canadians should vote for him as he pushed his 51st state rhetoric.
What Canadians can expect as polls close
Polling stations are starting to close across the country. That begins with Newfoundland and Labrador and then the rest of Atlantic Canada. Polls in Ontario, Quebec, the Prairies, as well as in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, will be closing at 9:30 p.m., while the final polling stations in British Columbia and the Yukon will close at 10 p.m. EST.
Once a polling station closes, the votes will start to be counted to determine who will represent which ridings in the House of Commons. Canadians may have a picture of a leader after the majority of the polls across the country close at 9:30 p.m.
The two parties that have largely divided Canadians are Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives and Mark Carney’s Liberals. It’s been a tight race ever since a federal election was called in March 2025, which came following the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the prorogation of Parliament, and the appointment of Carney as prime minister and the leader of the Liberal Party.
How does a party form a government in Canada?
In order for a party to form a government, they need to secure the most seats in the House of Commons, which is a representation of 343 ridings across the country. A political party needs at least 12 members in the House of Commons to be a “recognized party » in parliamentary proceedings. It’s a threshold Jagmeet Singh and the New Democratic Party are in danger of not reaching.
For more information on key ridings, first-past-the-post and Canada’s electoral process, check out the links below:
Electoral ridings across Canada
First-past-the-post explained
Canada’s electoral process explained
As we get ready for a historic outcome, follow along for the latest updates, news and analysis with our Yahoo News Canada live blog, along with our Global News live broadcast at the top of this post.
Live31 updates
Sections of Election Canada website down as polls start to close
If you’re having trouble accessing the Elections Canada website, you’re not alone.
Parts of the site are currently down, which includes the homepage. As of writing, its election results page is currently running fine.
Why China, U.K., Australia and India are closely watching Canada’s election
The 2025 Canada federal election is more than just about the deteriorating relationship with the U.S. as global powers like China, India, U.K. and Australia — countries that are also subjected to Trump’s aggressive trade policies — watch closely.
China is hoping to reset relations with Canada, offering a partnership against American « bullying, » according to a BBC report. Leaders like Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre, however, remain wary.
Comparing Canada’s battle between economic pragmatism and culture wars to U.K. debates, the British are looking at lessons for their own politics.
Australia, too, sees parallels with Canada, exploring the potential for shared security ties and future opportunities for deeper cooperation.
India-Canada relations remain strained following allegations of the Indian government being involved in in the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. This election could reshape ties. Justin Trudeau’s successor, Mark Carney has hinted at getting on better terms with India, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre may or may not take a different path.
All the four countries — in the event of facing a protectionist American administration — likely stand to gain from a strengthened friendship with Canada.
Singh to find out if his NDP keeps party status on election day
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in his home riding of Burnaby Central tonight, waiting to learn his party’s fate — and his own.
After a campaign that saw the New Democrats fight to hold seats in what appeared to be largely a two-party race, some observers warn that the NDP could lose official party status — an outcome that would threaten Singh’s leadership.
A political party needs at least 12 members in the House of Commons to be a “recognized party » in parliamentary proceedings.
NDP officials say they’re feeling good about get-out-the-vote efforts and report internal polling suggesting late momentum gains in Ontario and B.C., where Singh spent many of the last days of the campaign.
But some in the NDP campaign say they worry that rain in Metro Vancouver may dissuade some people from going to the polls.
Singh and the NDP have spent the election campaign reminding voters of the role they played in introducing the dental-care and pharmacare programs in the previous minority government.
But Singh’s support for Justin Trudeau’s government allowed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to launch a pre-election offensive tying him to the unpopular prime minister.
And in an election which has seen many left-centre voters side with the Liberals, Singh has watched his own party’s support dwindle, with polls suggesting he may lose half of the seats he came into the election with.
Singh’s election-night event is happening in a hotel ballroom in his riding. The room isn’t expected to fill up until around 11 p.m. ET because volunteers and staff will be working right up to when polls close in B.C. at 10 p.m. ET.
Singh ended the election on a sombre note, telling Canadians that electing New Democrats is the only way to ensure the next government is kept honest and accountable to Canadians.
Polls close across Atlantic Canada
Polling stations are now closed in the remaining Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
N.S. is home to 11 seats, while P.E.I. and New Brunswick have four and 10, respectively.
Polls still remain open across the rest of the country.
Polling stations in Newfoundland close, as ballots start to get counted
At 8:30 p.m. NST (7 p.m. EST) polling stations in Newfoundland and Labrador stopped collecting ballots.
It marks the first region in Canada that has completed its 12-hour voting window.
Now, election officials will start to count votes coming from N.L. to determine who will represent the province’s seven ridings in the House of Commons.
What the polls tell us: Conservatives narrowed the gap, but still trailed Liberals in late polling
From Thursday through Sunday, Abacus Data conducted polling of 2,500 Canadians, which it called its “largest sample of the campaign.”
As it did on April 21, their final likely-voter model, which only polls people who’ve already voted or are almost certainly going to, predicts the Liberal party will garner 41 per cent of the popular vote to the Conservatives’ 39 per cent. The NDP and Bloc Québécois are relegated to 10 and six per cent, respectively.
There was little change regionally, with the Tories strongest in Alberta and the Prairies, the Liberals from Quebec east, and election night battlegrounds setting up in Ontario and B.C. Those results were similar across almost every poll.
While Mark Carney and the Liberals maintain a narrow lead, Abacus CEO David Coletto wrote that a high voter turnout could help Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives.
“Our model assumes participation in the high-60s to low-70s,” he wrote. “If we’re low — say it pushes well north of 70 per cent — that means more late deciders and infrequent voters, a pool that leans Conservative 39-37 (per cent).”
For more from the National Post, including findings from polls like Liason Strategies and Angus Reid, read here.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney casts his 2025 election vote
Liberal Leader Mark Carney cast his ballot at an Anglican church in Ottawa alongside his wife, Diana Fox Carney.
While Carney is running for a seat in Nepean, he voted in the nearby Ottawa–Vanier–Gloucester riding where he currently lives and where Liberal candidate Mona Fortier is running for re-election.
When will we know the results of the Canadian election?
The majority of votes are counted as soon as polls close on April 28. Some votes may be counted earlier, such as special ballots from those living outside of their riding, but only if the volume justifies it. Advanced polls can be counted one hour before polls close on election vote.
The process to count the ballots involves two election workers, who manually register the votes in front of witnesses, who are usually candidates or party representatives. This helps maintain the integrity and accuracy of the election.
The first polls will close in Newfoundland at 8:30 p.m. NST, which is 7 p.m. EST. The last of the polls will close in British Columbia and the Yukon at 7 p.m. PST, which is 10 p.m. EST.
Preliminary results for each of the country’s 343 ridings will be posted to the Elections Canada website in realtime. Even before every riding’s votes are counted, we could get a picture of which party will form a government if there’s a clear advantage.
The results will then be validated over the upcoming days.
In 2021, we learned that Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were voted into a third term on the same night that polls closed across the country.
For more information on the counting process, read here.
‘…Imagine if Biden ever pretended to run for PM’: Social media reacts to Trump implying Canada should vote for him, 51st state
On election day, the U.S. president urged Canadian voters to « elect the man » who’ll deliver on reducing taxes, strengthen domestic industries and toughen their military power.
However, he did not say who « the man » would be, leaving social media users to wonder if he was referring to himself.
BREAKING: Trump tells Canadians to vote for him.
Imagine the MAGA meltdown if Biden ever pretended he was running for Prime Minister of Canada.
Also — reminder: Canada will never be the 51st state. They think you’re completely unhinged. pic.twitter.com/esit2cn4xw
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 28, 2025
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was one of the first Canadian leaders to react to Trump’s message.
Poilievre cautioned Trump against meddling in Canada’s internal affairs by warning him to « stay out of our election » while reasserting that Canada will never become the 51st state.
President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box.
Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.
Today Canadians can vote for change so we can strengthen…
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 28, 2025
« The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box, » Poilievre posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
U.S. President Donald Trump continues to cast a long shadow over the 2025 Canadian federal election as his aggressive trade policies and attacks on Canada’s sovereignty fuelled voter concerns.
Experts believe Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports reshaped the Canadian election landscape, thrusting him into the heart of every candidate’s election pitch.
« It is an unsubtle irony that the single most important figure in Canada’s federal election is not a Canadian. »
— Akaash Maharaj, senior fellow at the Munk school of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto
Since Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian imports, Canada experienced a significant shift toward economic nationalism. Canadians have considered shopping home-grown brands in response to the tariffs and the 51st state rhetoric. The Made-in-Canada movement continues to gain momentum while causing a decline in U.S. exports to Canada, specifically in sectors like citrus and beverages.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made tackling his American counterpart the Liberal campaign’s central theme. Meanwhile, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre promised to renegotiate trade deals.
Polls in January had the Conservatives in the driving seat, but following Trump’s return to the Oval Office and Carney’s subsequent rise, momentum shifted.
Political science expert Ryan Hurl finds the comeback astonishing.
« The Liberal party and their allies have been very effective at presenting an image as the ‘anti-Trump’ and ‘anti-populist’ party; really, it is one of the most amazing political achievements in recent memory. »
— Ryan Hurl, assistant professor, political science, University of Toronto.
Trump’s influence was felt just as much last week.
The U.S. president brought back his 51st state rhetoric, floating the idea of raising tariffs against Canada, specifically on autos, with reporters in Washington, D.C., while repeating his false claim of the U.S. subsidizing Canada by $200 billion a year.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet casts his ballot
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet cast a ballot in Beloeil, Que. before meeting with reporters.
Blanchet says he’s not so much nervous as he is impatient for the results to start coming in later today and to see if the party meets its objectives for this election – which he wouldn’t divulge. His party went into the campaign with 33 seats.
Unlike his opponents, Blanchet has not taken to describing the federal election as being the « most consequential » and says it’s an important election like any other and should not be taken lightly.
Blanchet urged Quebecers to get out and vote.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre casts his ballot in Carleton
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre cast his ballot alongside his wife, Anaida Poilievre, at a polling station in the Ottawa area.
He remarked, « look at the size of the ballot » when he walked up to the voting booth. Poilievre’s riding of Carleton was targeted by a protest group filling the slate up with independent candidates to inflate the physical size of ballots and delay the count.
As he placed his ballot in the box, Poilievre told the gathered cameras: « Alright everyone, get out to vote — for a change, » echoing his slogan from the campaign.
How does Canada’s federal election work? How will a party win?
In the Canadian electoral system — a parliamentary democracy that requires citizens to vote for Members of Parliament — elections are scheduled to take place every four years. However, the prime minister has the power to call an election sooner with the governor general’s approval.
The Canadian democracy uses a « first-past-the-post » voting system. It means the candidate with the most votes in each of the 343 constituencies (ridings) wins a seat in the House of Commons. Candidates can chose to represent a political party, or they can run independently.
The party that wins the most seats forms Canada’s next government, with the leader of the party taking on the job of prime minister. The runner-up becomes the Official Opposition.
To form a majority, a party must win more than half of the seats. If not, it results in a minority government, requiring support from other parties to pass laws.
Posthaste: Canada’s federal election winner faces a flatlining economy
Whoever wins today’s federal election will face the challenge of an economy flatlined by the onslaught of Donald Trump’s tariffs and weaker U.S. and global growth, economists predict.
Two days after Canadians vote, gross domestic product data will offer clues on what the next government can expect for the economy — and it’s not likely to be good news.
Royal Bank of Canada economists are forecasting a flat reading for February GDP and the first decline in three months for GDP per capita. The early estimate for March could look even softer.
Recent data suggest Trump’s trade war may already be impacting the jobs and housing market. Canada’s unemployment rate climbed to 6.7 per cent in March when the economy unexpectedly lost 33,000 jobs. Home sales are down 12 per cent since January as wary homebuyers bide their time.
Economists are split as to whether Canada tips into recession in the months to come, but most expect the economy to show little to no growth in the second half of the year.
For the full article from the Financial Post, read here.
Parties eyeing Greater Toronto Area swing ridings on election night
Voters across the country head to the polls in the federal election today, and as results start to roll in at night, parties will be closely watching the Greater Toronto Area.
The GTA, which includes the city itself and surrounding areas such as Peel, York and Durham regions, has an abundance of seats and could help turn the tide in what is widely seen as a two-horse race.
People in some ridings reliably vote in the same party every time, but the region also contains a lot of swing ridings, making the results anything but certain.
The Liberals have captured the bulk of seats in Toronto in most recent elections, with some seats historically held by the NDP, though not in recent years.
It remains to be seen what influence, if any, tensions between the provincial Progressive Conservatives — who won a third consecutive majority government earlier this year — and the federal Tories will have on party leader Pierre Poilievre’s chances across Ontario.
For more of a breakdown of what ridings to keep an eye on across the GTA, read The Canadian Press’ full story here.
Final push: What were the leaders’ final promises?
Pierre Poilievre targeted undecided voters by promising to scrap Canada’s electric vehicle sales quotas if his party wins. On the other hand, the current Liberal mandate dictates 20 per cent of all new vehicles sold must be electric by 2026. The mandate will rise to 100 per cent by 2035.
Elsewhere, Mark Carney pledged to shield the Canadian steel industry from the U.S., promising a « made-in-Canada » strategy to fight Trump tariffs.
Meanwhile, NDP’s Jagmeet Singh seemed more focussed on putting a stop to the bleeding of voters, as he called on his loyalists to « hold the line, » signalling the party’s defensive approach in the face of significant loss of ground.
Take a look at the leaders’ full platforms and comparisons in this handy guide from The Green Line.
