ExplainerCanada 2021 election: what’s happened, what’s at stake
- Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is seeking a third term, faces a strong challenge from rookie conservative leader Erin O’Toole
- The 36-day campaign – the shortest allowed under Canadian law – saw the contenders spar over climate, Covid-19 and affordable housing
Canadians are voting in an election that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called two years early, seeking to turn public approval for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic into a fresh, four-year mandate.
Voting across Canada’s six time zones was scheduled to wrap up in westernmost British Columbia at 7pm on Monday (10am Hong Kong time Tuesday).
An estimated 27 million Canadians were eligible to cast a ballot to select 338 members of parliament. To keep his job, Trudeau’s Liberals must win a plurality of seats and take at least 170 for a majority.
Due to the pandemic, a significant number of mail-in ballots (1.2 million) were expected, which could mean the results of the election may not be immediately known.
Why now?
Since 2019, Trudeau has only commanded a minority in parliament, leaving him dependent on other parties to govern. Trudeau argues the pandemic has changed Canada like World War II did and Canadians should now choose who they want to make important decisions for decades to come.