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Canadian Federal Election Monday, September 20
8-18-2021
Quick election facts
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau minority Govt. has called a federal election for September 20.
It is not a surprise as many Canadians were expecting a call for an election for some time.
The Liberal Party has been ahead in the polls, polls suggest that support for the Liberals is high and it could be an opportune moment for Trudeau to try for a majority government.
The Liberals lost their majority in 2019 and have led a minority government ever since.
The Canadian Parliament has a total of 338 seats and the minority winning party must work with other parties to create new laws.
The 2019 election resulted in parties winning the following number of seats:
• Liberals won 157 seats
• Conservatives won 121 seats
• Bloc Québécois won 32 seats
• New Democratic Party (NDP) won 24 seats
• Green Party won 3 seats
• An Independent candidate won 1 seat
Who are the party leaders?
• The leader of the Liberal Party is Justin Trudeau
• The leader of the Conservative Party is Erin O’Toole
• The leader of the Bloc Quebecois is Yves-Francois Blanchet
• The leader of the New Democratic Party is Jagmeet Singh
• The leader of the Green Party is Annamie Paul
• The leader of the People’s Party is Maxime Bernier
When is voting day?
The official election day Sept. 20 across Canada. Polling places will be open for 12 hours, with the time varying, depending on what province you are in.
Who can vote?
Canadian citizens who are 18 years of age or older can vote, so long as you're able to prove your identity and address.
If you do not have ID, an elector registered to the same polling station can vouch for you, so long as you declare your ID and address and that person has not vouched for anyone else. There is an exception in the case of long-term care facilities, where there is an ability for someone to vouch for more than one person.
You can use your voter information card as proof of address, but you'll also need additional ID, whether a utility bill, or a student ID card, or bank statement, for example.
If you have a driver's licence or other government ID that has your photo, your name and current address, then you only need that one piece, but still bring your voter information card with you.
You can check to see if you are registered to vote, here https://elections.ca
Voter registration
There are over 27 million people on the National Register of Electors.
Every elector on the National Register of Electors should receive a voter information card. Your voter information card will tell you:
• where and when you can vote
• your assigned polling station for advance polling days and election day, and
• the address of the closest Elections Canada office where you can vote by special ballot
For more info on voters Information Contact Elections Canada 1-800-463-6868
Can I vote in advance?
Yes. While there had been some consideration to an extended weekend voting period, there will be just one election day. But, you can also cast your ballot in-person in at polling places across the country on:
• Friday, Sept. 10
• Saturday, Sept. 11
• Sunday, Sept. 12
• Monday, Sept. 13
When are the official debates?
The Debate Broadcast Group will be holding two official leaders’ debates, both taking place at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que.
The French-language debate will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 8, and the English debate will be held on Thursday, Sept. 9.
For the first time, a Debates Commissioner led the efforts to organize two national leaders' debates during the election, one in French and one in English.
Both debates are happening at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. and each will be moderated by five journalists.
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