Overview of the Canadian electoral system
About federal elections
Canada is a representative democracy that is divided into 338 electoral districts.
When a federal election is called, Canadians cast a vote to elect a member of Parliament who will represent them in the House of Commons and who will debate and pass legislation on behalf of the residents of their electoral district. The candidate who gets the most votes in an electoral district is elected. This is called a "first-past-the-post" system.
Every member of Parliament has a seat in the House of Commons. Candidates can represent a political party, or they can be independent.
The political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons usually forms the government. The leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister. If the political party that forms the government has more than half the seats in the House of Commons, this is called a majority government.
Under the Canada Elections Act, a general election is held every four years, on the third Monday of October. However, the Act does not prevent a general election from being called on another date. Also, under the Act, election day must at least 36 days, and no later 50 days, after the date the election was called.
Video: The Canadian electoral system
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Canada is a vast country of more than 38 million people, spanning 6 time zones and where 2 official languages and dozens of Indigenous and heritage languages are spoken. There are over 27 million qualified electors in Canada. To vote, you must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age on election day.
The country is currently divided into 338 electoral districts. Generally, between 60,000 and 120,000 people live in each electoral district. During the election, voters elect a member of Parliament to represent their local electoral district in the lower house of Parliament, also known as the House of Commons. Because 2021 is a decennial census year, a new federal redistribution process—led by an independent commission in each province—will begin in 2022.
Created in 1920, Elections Canada was one of the world's first electoral agencies to be independent from its government. The Chief Electoral Officer, the CEO, leads a workforce of 600 permanent employees at the agency's headquarters, as well as 338 returning officers and 31 field liaison officers who deliver the election across the country. On election day, the total number of employees reaches over 200,000.
Elections Canada must be prepared at all times to administer an election. An election is called when the Governor General dissolves Parliament, either on the advice of the Prime Minister or if the government loses a confidence vote. The CEO then issues a writ for each electoral district with instructions for returning officers to hold an election.
Next, Elections Canada focuses its logistical efforts on securing and equipping offices and polling locations across the nation. Canadians head to the polls on four advance polling days and on election day to cast their vote for the candidate of their choice using a paper ballot.
When the last vote is counted, Elections Canada confirms the elected candidates and enters its post-electoral period. The agency then begins to look back at the election and verifies that all the political players complied with the rules and drafts its reports on the event. Elections Canada then implements its findings, all the while remaining ready for the calling of an election or a referendum at any time.
Key moments of the 44th general election
Dissolution of Parliament
On August 15, 2021, at the request of the Prime Minister, the Governor General dissolved Parliament and ordered the Chief Electoral Officer to issue the writs of election. Canada's 44th general election since Confederation in 1867 was officially called.
That same day, Elections Canada offices opened, and voting by special ballot began. Electors can apply to vote by mail as soon as the writs are issued and can register and vote once Elections Canada offices are open.
Selection of candidates
Once an election is called, each party decides who will be its candidate for each electoral district. A candidate can also run for election without being associated with a party, either as an independent or with no affiliation.
The right to run in a federal election is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but candidates must meet some basic requirements.
In the 44th general election, candidates had until 2 p.m. on August 30, 2021, to submit their Nomination Paper. Adjustments were made to that process because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Electoral campaigns
During the electoral campaign period, candidates try to persuade electors that they are the best choice to represent them in Parliament.
The election period (or campaign period) for the 44th general election was 36 days long.
Voting
Electors had four different ways to vote in the 44th general election:
- At advance polls: September 10, 11, 12 or 13, 2021
- At any Elections Canada office: before Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 6 p.m.
- By mail: by applying before Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 6 p.m.
- On election day: September 20, 2021
To vote, electors must be registered. Those who were not registered before the 44th general election was called could register:
- At a local Elections Canada office before Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 6 p.m.
- At their polling station on advance polling days or on election day
Electors who were registered before the election was called were mailed a voter information card.
Vote counting and results
Counting of the votes
After polling stations close, election workers, who are trained and paid for their work, count the ballots by hand to determine which candidate won the election. They follow the vote counting procedures set out in the Canada Elections Act.
Candidates, their representatives and other designated observers are permitted to observe the counting of the votes. The returning officer records the results of the count using a computer program that securely transmits the information to Elections Canada headquarters and to media consortium.
Generally, the vote count shows very clearly who has been elected. Sometimes, however, the results are very close, or even tied. In that case, there may be a judicial recount of the ballots.
Reporting the results
On election night, after the polling stations close, the Elections Canada website is continually updated as preliminary results come in from the 338 electoral districts.
For the 44th general election, it was anticipated that the results would not be reported on election night since a higher volume of special ballots were received compared to previous elections.
For more information, see Safeguards for Counting Votes and Reporting on Results.
The 44th general election by the numbers
- More than 27 million electors had the right to vote in the 44th general election
- More than 2,000 candidates ran in the 44th general election
- More than 18,000 polling places were rented for election day
- About 1.2 million special ballot voting kits were sent to electors
- About 5.8 million Canadians voted in advance polls
To learn more about the federal electoral system, see: