In a federal election Canadians choose the people who represent them in the House of Commons — the members of Parliament (MPs). This chapter covers who may vote and run, how the secret ballot works, how a government is formed and kept in office, and how the provincial, territorial, municipal and First Nations levels of government divide up responsibilities.
The basicsHow federal elections work
Canada has 308 electoral districts — ridings or constituencies. Each is a geographical area whose citizens elect one MP to represent them — and all Canadians — in the House of Commons. Voters pick the candidate and party they prefer, and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat. A district may have many candidates.
By law a federal election falls on the third Monday of October, four years after the previous one, though the Prime Minister can request an earlier election from the Governor General. Any Canadian citizen aged 18 or older may run for office; those who do are called candidates.
EligibilityWho can vote
Voting is one of the privileges of citizenship. The voters’ lists for federal elections and referendums come from the National Register of Electors — a permanent database of citizens 18 and over who qualify to vote — kept by Elections Canada, a neutral agency of Parliament.
Remember this
- To vote you must be a Canadian citizen
- You must have turned 18 by voting day
- You must be on the voters’ list — but you can be added at any time, even on election day
- After an election is called, a voter information card arrives in the mail telling you when and where to vote
Your privacyThe secret ballot
Canadian law protects the secret ballot: nobody may watch you vote or look at your marked ballot. You may tell others how you voted if you wish, but no one — family, employer or union representative — has any right to demand it.
Counting starts the moment the polling stations close, and the results go out over radio, television and the newspapers.
Step by stepHow to cast your vote
Your voter information card confirms you are on the list and gives your polling station. If you cannot or prefer not to vote on election day, use the advance polls or a special ballot.
Go to your polling station with your voter information card and proof of identity and address.
Go behind the screen and mark an “X” in the circle beside your chosen candidate.
Fold the ballot and present it to the poll officials.
The official tears off the ballot number and hands the ballot back; you drop it in the ballot box.
After the polls close, all ballots are counted and the results made public.
Forming governmentWhat happens after an election
The Governor General ordinarily invites the leader whose party holds the most Commons seats to form the government; once appointed, that leader becomes Prime Minister. At least half the seats makes a majority government; fewer than half, a minority government.
The government stays in office only while it keeps the confidence of a majority of MPs. A Commons vote on something major, like the budget, is a confidence matter: if most MPs vote against the government, it is defeated, and the Prime Minister usually asks the Governor General — acting for the Sovereign — to call an election.
The Prime Minister picks the ministers of the Crown, mostly from the House of Commons; each runs a federal department. Prime Minister and ministers together are the Cabinet, which prepares the budget and proposes most new laws — decisions any MP may question.
Remember this
- Parties not in power are the opposition parties; their job is to peacefully oppose or improve government proposals
- The largest opposition party is called the Official Opposition (Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition)
- The three major parties in the House of Commons are the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party
Beyond OttawaMunicipal and First Nations government
Municipal (local) government usually works through a council — a mayor (or reeve) plus councillors or aldermen — that passes local laws called by-laws. Municipalities typically look after planning, roads, garbage and snow removal, firefighting, ambulance and emergency services, recreation, transit and certain local health and social programs; most big cities have their own municipal police.
Provincial, territorial and municipal elections also use the secret ballot, but their rules differ from federal ones. On reserves, First Nations band chiefs and councillors are responsible for housing, schools and other services, and Aboriginal organizations at the provincial, regional and national level give First Nations, Métis and Inuit people a voice with the federal, provincial and territorial governments.
Who does whatResponsibilities by level of government
Federal representatives are MPs. Provincial and territorial representatives are called MLAs (Legislative Assembly), MNAs (National Assembly), MPPs (Provincial Parliament) or MHAs (House of Assembly). Municipal representatives are the mayor or reeve and councillors or aldermen.
Remember this
- Federal: defence, foreign affairs, citizenship, international trade, criminal justice, policing, Aboriginal affairs
- Provincial and territorial: education, health care, natural resources, highways, property and civil rights, policing in Quebec and Ontario
- Municipal: recycling, snow removal, transportation and utilities, fire and emergency services, local policing, social and community health
- Shared between federal and provincial/territorial: immigration, agriculture, environment
Now put it to the test
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