From left to right: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Liberal Leader Mark Carney and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.The Globe and Mail
A snap federal election has been called in Canada, and eligible voters are set to cast their ballots in April.
The election campaign will likely be shaped by Canadians’ fear and anxiety around sweeping tariffs, especially as federal party leaders campaign around who is the most capable person to protect the country’s sovereignty and economy from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threats.
What are the key dates, and other significant points to consider? Here’s what you need to know about how to vote in the upcoming federal election.
When is the 2025 federal election?
Canadians will head to the polls in a snap federal election on April 28. Governor-General Mary Simon dissolved Parliament on Sunday, March 23 and called a five-week campaign at the request of Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Voting hours will vary across the country. Election Canada says that the hours are staggered so that the majority of results are available at approximately the same time across the country. You can find the list of voting hours at polling stations for each time zone here.
Mark Carney on Sunday called a snap election for April 28, saying he needed a strong mandate to deal with the threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Reuters
Who is eligible to vote?
A man walks by an Elections Canada sign at a polling station during the 2021 federal election in Toronto.MARK BLINCH/Reuters
All Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old or older (on election day) are eligible to vote in the upcoming federal election. Voters must be able to prove their identity and address at the polling stations in order to cast a ballot.
There are three options to prove your identity and address:
- Show a piece of identification issued by a Canadian government, federal, provincial or local (or an agency of that government), that contains your photo, name and address (for example, a driver’s licence).
- Show two pieces of identification that have your name, and one that must also show your address (for example, a health card and utility bill). Elections Canada provides a list of accepted IDs.
- If you do not have any of the above, you can declare your identity and address in writing at the polling station as long as someone is willing to vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address and is assigned to your polling station.
How do I register to vote?
Many Canadians are already registered to vote and are listed on a continuously updated database known as the National Register of Electors. Canadians have the option to choose whether or not they want to be included in this database, but those who opt out will need to register for each election before voting and won’t be sent the voter information card that explains where and when to vote.
Canadians who’ve voted in previous elections should be registered, and Elections Canada will send you a voter registration card with polling locations and times. But if it’s your first time voting or you need to update your voter information (address, etc.), you can register online or at your local polling station when you go in to vote.
What about Canadians who live abroad?
Canadian citizens living abroad are eligible to vote. They need to do so by mail and must have requested a ballot by April 22. Completed ballots should be sent to Elections Canada by 6 p.m. ET on April 28 – election day.
How does the voting by mail process work?
A mail-in voting package from the 2021 federal election, Calgary, Alta., on Sept. 2, 2021.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Elections Canada says all eligible electors can request what the agency refers to as a “special ballot” in order to vote by mail. This is available to those voting outside their home riding and those voting from their home riding who prefer not to go to a polling place.
Eligible voters had to apply to vote by mail with proof of identity and address before April 22. Elections Canada will then send a vote-by-mail package, which includes a prepaid envelope, to your location that you need to return by 6 p.m. ET on election day (April 28).
One thing to note if you are voting by special ballot is you will not get a ballot with candidate names. Instead, Elections Canada will provide a ballot with a blank spot to write the first and last name of the candidate you’re voting for. You do not have to write the name of the political party – but if you do, your vote will still be counted as long as you also write the name of the candidate.
Once a voter has applied to vote by mail, in person at an Elections Canada office, or online, Elections Canada says you cannot vote at advance polls or on election day.
How do I find the list of candidates running in my riding?
Elections Canada offers an online directory, called the Voter Information Service, where you can find information about your electoral district, the candidates running in your district, the addresses of advanced and election day polling stations and the address of your local Elections Canada office.
How many Canadians have already voted in advanced polls?
A record 7.3 million people voted in advance polls, Elections Canada says, about one-quarter of all registered voters.
This is a 25-per-cent increase over the 5.8 million people who voted in advance polls in the 2021 election, the agency said, noting that the numbers are an estimate as some polls may not have reported yet.
Advance polls were open across the country for four days over the Easter long weekend - from April 18 to 21 – from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Who are the main federal party leaders?
Liberal Leader Mark Carney
Mark Carney speaks with media on Parliament Hill following a meeting in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership race in a landslide victory on March 9, 2025, securing 85.9 per cent of the vote. He is the first Canadian prime minister to never have held prior elected office, but will be seeking election in the Ottawa-area riding of Nepean.
He previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013, during Stephen Harper’s Conservative rule, and held the same post at the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.
Read The Globe’s profile on Mr. Carney about his past economic history.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre at a campaign stop in Coquitlam, B.C.Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images
Pierre Poilievre was first elected in 2004 as a member of Parliament for the riding of Carleton (formerly Nepean-Carleton) at age 25, and later served as a cabinet minister in Stephen Harper’s government.
He became the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition in September, 2022, after a months-long contest to replace Erin O’Toole.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh during a campaign stop in Toronto.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Jagmeet Singh was first elected as an NDP MPP in the Bramalea-Gore-Malton riding during the 2011 election, becoming the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit in the province’s legislature. Mr. Singh moved to federal politics in 2017, successfully running to replace outgoing NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.
In 2019, he ran in a by-election in the B.C. riding Burnaby South, which he has held since.
Read The Globe’s profile of Mr. Singh as he and the NDP confront an uncertain future.
Green Party Co-Leaders Jonathan Pedneault and Elizabeth May
Green Party co-leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault at their election campaign launch in Montreal.Evan Buhler/Reuters
Jonathan Pedneault launched the Green Party’s election campaign alongside long-time leader Elizabeth May. Mr. Pedneault, 34, will be the face of the Green Party’s federal campaign and will participate in the debates. He became deputy leader of the Green Party in 2022, and is a former journalist and activist with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Elizabeth May took the leadership of the Greens in 2006, back when it was a party with no seats and little hope of breaking through into the House of Commons.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet launches campaign in Quebec City.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
Yves-François Blanchet has been the leader of the Bloc Québécois and member of Parliament for the riding of Beloeil–Chambly since 2019.
He is leading the party into a federal election for the third time.
What are some things to note about this election?
The federal government is in caretaker mode until April 28
Construction workers build scaffolding on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 20.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Ottawa is in “caretaker” mode during the election campaign, a political convention that the federal government holds back from major matters while politicians are out on the campaign trail. This election campaign, however, is not routine, especially as Canada faces unrelenting hostility from the White House. Tu Thanh Ha reports on what the government is able to do and what it isn’t in terms of tariff-related emergencies.
Online sabotage and the threat of foreign disinformation
Illustration by The Globe and Mail. Source photos: Getty Images
Foreign disinformation is a looming threat in Canada’s election, especially in a race where Canada-U.S. mistrust is high. Jill Mahoney recently spoke with experts who warn that Canada is at high risk of attack by hostile foreign entities attempting to meddle with the federal election by covertly spreading false information online. Here’s what those cyber threats might look like.