Prime minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is projected to win the federal election on Monday, which has been dominated by Donald Trump’s trade war and in the aftermath of a deadly car-ramming attack in Vancouver.
Voters chose the current prime minister and head of a Liberal party that has had a decade in power over leader of the opposition Conservatives Pierre Poilievre.
The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament's 343 seats than the Conservatives, though it wasn't clear yet if they would win an outright majority,Mr Poilievre, a populist firebrand who campaigned with Trump-like bravado, had hoped to make the election a referendum on former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined before his resignation earlier this year as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged.
But then Mr Trump became the dominant issue as he slapped 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and repeatedly called for the country to become “the 51st state”.
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Canada election 2025
- Mark Carney’s Liberals win election
- Donald Trump looms large over campaign
- Trump weighs in on Canadian election reiterating '51st state' calls
- We decide what happens in Canada despite 'crisis' in US, says Carney on election day
Poilievre’s Trump-lite campaign costs him election
05:00
,
Namita Singh
The Conservative Party's leader Pierre Poilievre hoped to make the election a referendum on former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose.
But Mr Trump attacked, Mr Trudeau resigned and Mark Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party's leader and prime minister.
Mr Poilievre implored voters to "Get out to vote — for a change". After running a Trump-lite campaign for weeks, though, his similarities to the bombastic American leader might have cost him.
Reid Warren, a Toronto resident, said he voted Liberal because Poilievre "sounds like mini-Trump to me".
And he said Trump's tariffs are a worry.
"Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade being thrown from the States is great, but it's definitely created some turmoil, that's for sure," he said.
‘We were dead and buried’
04:38
,
Namita Singh
Former justice minister David Lametti hailed prime minister Mark Carney for the Liberal Party’s win in the Canadian federal elections.
The Liberals looked headed for a crushing defeat until the American president started attacking Canada's economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state.
Trump's actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power.
"We were dead and buried in December. Now we are going to form a government," Mr Lametti, a former Liberal Justice Minister, told broadcaster CTV.
"We have turned this around thanks to Mark," he said.
What happens if no party wins a majority?
04:15
,
Namita Singh
Canadians aren't directly electing their prime minister. Voters in each of Canada's 343 federal electoral districts are only electing their local representative to the House of Commons.
The leader of whichever party wins a majority of seats in the House of Commons will form a new government and serve as prime minister.
If no party wins a majority, a party — usually the one with the most seats — can form a minority government but must rely on support from some opposition members.
In rare cases, two or more parties might reach a formal agreement to form a coalition government together.
Mark Carney retains his seat in Ottawa
04:12
,
Namita Singh
Sitting prime minister Mark Carney has retained his seat in Ottawa. This makes him the first prime minister to hold a seat in Ottawa since the 1880s.
The first non-Brit to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694 and the former head of Canada's central bank, Mr Carney entered the race to be Canada's next prime minister in January following Justin Trudeau's resignation.
His Liberal Party has been projected to win more of Parliament's 343 seats than the Conservatives. But it wasn't clear yet if the Liberals will win an outright majority, which would allow them to pass legislation without needing help.
Mark Carney’s Liberals win election
03:48
,
Namita Singh
Prime minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party won Canada's federal election on Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by US president Donald Trump's annexation threats and trade war.
The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament's 343 seats than the Conservatives, though it wasn't clear yet if they would win an outright majority, which would allow them to pass legislation without needing help.
The Liberals looked headed for a crushing defeat until the American president started attacking Canada's economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state.
Mr Trump's actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power.
The opposition Conservative Party's leader, Pierre Poilievre, hoped to make the election a referendum on former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose.
Profile: Who is Mark Carney? Canada’s prime minister fighting for re-election in Trump’s shadow
03:30
,
Mike Bedigan
Mark Carney, Canada’s elected prime minister and head of the country’s Liberal Party, is going to the polls in the hope of re-election.
In recent months, the former governor of the UK’s Bank of England has to fight a war on two fronts. To the south he has had to contend with the Trump administration, which threatened then postponed crippling 25 percent tariffs on Canada, as well as taunted the country with the outlandish possibility of making it the 51st U.S. state.
Here’s what you need to know about him:
All polls in Canada now closed
03:00
,
Mike Bedigan
All of the polling stations in Canada are now closed.
The final polling stations in British Columbia and Yukon shut their doors at 10:00 p.m.
Now the count begins.
More polls close, final stations to close soon
02:30
,
Mike Bedigan
Polls in Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and bits of British Columbia are now closed.
Stations in the rest of British Columbia and Yukon are due to close soon also, at 10:00 p.m.
Liberal party 'cautiously optimistic' ahead of results
02:00
,
Mike Bedigan
A CBC journalist, reporting live from the Liberal Party’s headquarters in Ottawa says that the atmosphere is “cautiously optimistic.”
However, they note that there are still many tight races, including in British Columbia.
Poilievre pushes for change on campaign trail
01:35
,
Mike Bedigan
In contrast to his opponent, Pierre Poilievre has argued that Canada needs change above all else.
On the campaign trail he has argued that Carney is an extension of the last 10 years of Liberal rule, often highlighting Carney's role as Trudeau's economic adviser to underscore the point.
"After the lost Liberal decade of rising crime, chaos, drugs and disorder, we cannot risk a fourth Liberal term. We have to reverse the policies that got us into this mess," he at a rally in Oakville, in Ontario, on Sunday.
Carney focuses on Trump in campaign messaging
01:15
,
Mike Bedigan
During his election campaign Mark Carney tried to sell himself as the best candidate to deal with Donald Trump’s volatility negotiate a new economic and security relationship.
Carney has never held an elected seat in parliament, though he has served as the governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 global financial crisis and head of the Bank of England during the Brexit years.
Carney has often argued on the trail that "Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us."
"And well, that will never happen," he often reiterated.
Carney: 'This is Canada — and we decide what happens here'
Tuesday 29 April 2025 00:45
,
Mike Bedigan
This is Canada — and we decide what happens here. pic.twitter.com/1baJGn7pwv
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 28, 2025
More polls close
Tuesday 29 April 2025 00:30
,
Mike Bedigan
More polls in Canada have now closed.
Voters in the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the rest of Labrador, can no longer cast ballots after polling stations in the areas closed at at 7.30 p.m.
Carney reminds people to vote
Tuesday 29 April 2025 00:15
,
Mike Bedigan
I just voted.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 28, 2025
Make sure you do, too. #CanadaStrong pic.twitter.com/tBYblHK4qN
First polls in Canada close
Tuesday 29 April 2025 00:00
,
Mike Bedigan
The first polls in Canada have closed.
Voters in Newfoundland and parts of Labrador, can no longer cast ballots after polling stations in the areas closed at at 7.p.m.
News websites unavailable on Meta sites in Canada
Monday 28 April 2025 23:42
,
Mike Bedigan
Social media giant Meta has cut access to news websites on its sites in Canada, leading to concerns from some about further undermining the role of traditional outlets in the election cycle.
Users can still come across news content on their feeds on Meta-owned platforms in images, memes and videos, but this can often be without important context.
"It's just not necessarily coming from those highest quality sources," Angus Lockhart, from Dais public policy think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University, said.
Profile: Who is Pierre Poilievre? Conservative leader who could become Canada’s next prime minister
Monday 28 April 2025 22:47
,
Mike Bedigan
Millions of Canadians headed to the polls on Monday to decide whether to continue the Liberal Party’s decade in power or give the Conservatives a chance at the helm of the country.
It is expected to be a tight race between Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. Carney called a snap election in March, not long after he was sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Justin Trudeau.
Here’s what to know about Poilievre:
Trump appears to suggest Canadian's vote for him
Monday 28 April 2025 22:30
,
Mike Bedigan
Watch: Marco Rubio tries to explain why Donald Trump wants to annex Canada
Monday 28 April 2025 22:15
,
Mike Bedigan
Election winner will face a litany of challenges
Monday 28 April 2025 22:00
,
The Associated Press
Whoever the winner of the Canadian election is, they will face many challenges from day one in the job.
Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time. And more than 75 percent of its exports go to the U.S., so Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada's production south could severely damage the Canadian economy.
Both Carney and Poilievre said that if elected, they would accelerate renegotiations of a free trade deal between Canada and the U.S. in a bid to end the uncertainty hurting both of their economies.
Carney has notable experience navigating economic crises after running Canada’s central bank and later becoming the first non-U.K. citizen to run the Bank of England.
Counting begins for mail-in ballots
Monday 28 April 2025 21:45
,
Mike Bedigan
Counting has already begun for mail-in ballots from Canadian citizens who voted from abroad.
Such ballots are being counted at a distribution centre in Ottawa, Canada's capital, according to an update from Elections Canada.
The results will be shared after polls have closed.
New Democratic party leader hit back at Trump
Monday 28 April 2025 21:35
,
Mike Bedigan
I hear Trump has something to say about our election.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 28, 2025
Here's what I have to say.
He doesn’t choose our future. We do.
With your vote today:
You can protect what makes Canada, Canada.
Every New Democrat you send to Ottawa will stand up for our country.
And never back down.
Profile: Who is Mark Carney? Canada’s prime minister fighting for re-election in Trump’s shadow
Monday 28 April 2025 21:25
,
Mike Bedigan
Mark Carney, Canada’s elected prime minister and head of the country’s Liberal Party, is going to the polls in the hope of re-election.
In recent months, the former governor of the UK’s Bank of England has to fight a war on two fronts. To the south he has had to contend with the Trump administration, which threatened then postponed crippling 25 percent tariffs on Canada, as well as taunted the country with the outlandish possibility of making it the 51st U.S. state.
Here’s what you need to know about him:
Mark Carney and his wife cast their ballots
Monday 28 April 2025 21:14
,
Mike Bedigan
Carney posts hockey-themed political ads
Monday 28 April 2025 20:50
,
Mike Bedigan
Liberal party leader Mark Carney has leant on his love of Canadian national sport ice hockey in his political ads – even enlisting help from actor Mike Myers.
Check them out:
Today, we leave everything on the ice. #CanadaStrong pic.twitter.com/uRkTLTBDwP
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 28, 2025
Elbows up, Canada. #Never51
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 28, 2025
Vote #CanadaStrong today: https://t.co/J4YMnmbNJR
pic.twitter.com/SVdOOkhOUS
Elections Canada settles voters' pen v pencil debate
Monday 28 April 2025 20:35
,
Mike Bedigan
On Monday, posts on social media claimed Canadian voters have to use a pencil to mark their ballot – but urged people to bring a pen to avoid tampering.
Elections Canada said it was aware of the posts but dismissed the claim that a ballot marked in pencil could be smudged or erased and would not count as a result.
The agency says poll workers are required by law to provide voters with black-lead pencils.
"All ballots are counted by pairs of paid election workers and, by law, the counting is done in front of witnesses who do not work for Elections Canada (usually candidates' representatives)," the Elections Canada website states.
Poilievre tells Trump to 'butt out' of Canadian election
Monday 28 April 2025 20:25
,
Mike Bedigan
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre had stern words for Donald Trump, after the president implied that Canadians should vote for him on Monday.
"Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America."
Here’s what Poilievre had to say about that:
President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 28, 2025
Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.
Today Canadians can vote for change so we can strengthen…
Canada election: Is the US-Canada relationship the main focus for voters?
Monday 28 April 2025 20:15
,
Mike Bedigan
Elections taking place in the wake of deadly Vancouver attack
Monday 28 April 2025 20:05
,
Mike Bedigan
Monday’s elections are taking place in the wake of a deadly attack in Vancouver, in which 11 people including a 5-year-old boy were killed.
At least 20 other people were injured after a car ploughed into a crowd at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival at 8pm on Saturday.
A man has since been arrested and charged with murder.
You can catch up on The Independent’s coverage of that story here:
Can Canadians cast a protest vote?
Monday 28 April 2025 19:55
,
Mike Bedigan
According to Elections Canada, there is no official procedure to protest or decline a ballot or vote “none of the above.” If a ballot is cast without choosing a candidate, it is considered rejected.
If an elector puts a mark beside more than one candidate's name it will also be recorded as a rejected ballot.
If a voter casts a ballot that cannot be counted for a candidate in their area, it will be considered rejected.
If a voter returns an unmarked ballot to the polling station or does not cast it, this is counted as a “spoiled ballot” rather than a protest vote, according to CBC.
Liberals: 'Canada will never be America'
Monday 28 April 2025 19:45
,
Mike Bedigan
The Liberal party, led by Mark Carney, has promised that “Canada will never be America,” a sentiment that may hit home for many Canadians amid the ongoing trade war with Donald Trump.
“We must protect our belief in the common good – our belief that we are stronger together. Canada will never be America,” the Liberal party website states.
“From public health care to Canada-wide child care to bilingualism, Canadians recognize that these are the things that make us strong and that being there for one another is fundamental to our way of life.”
Record-breaking number of votes already cast
Monday 28 April 2025 19:35
,
Mike Bedigan
According to an estimate by Elections Canada, a record-breaking 7.3 million Canadians cast their ballots for the federal election in advance polls over the long weekend.
That marks a 25 per cent increase from the 5.8 million electors who voted in advance during the 2021 federal election, the agency saod.
Françoise Enguehard, a regional media adviser in the Atlantic region for Elections Canada, told CBC News it's too early to say whether the record-high turnout will lead to higher voter turnout for the election overall,
He added that the numbers indicate that Canadians are "engaged” this time around.
Where to watch election coverage
Monday 28 April 2025 19:25
,
Mike Bedigan
For those wanting to watch coverage of the Canadian election, national broadcaster CBC has a wide variety of ways to watch.
The broadcaster’s election day coverage starts at 6 a.m. on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBCNews.ca, the CBC News app, CBC Gem and YouTube.
Live election day specials start with Power & Politics at 4 p.m. ET.
At 6:30 p.m. Rosemary Barton, Adrienne Arsenault, Ian Hanomansing, Catherine Cullen and Cochrane will host Canada Votes: Election Night.
When will we know the results?
Monday 28 April 2025 19:15
,
Mike Bedigan
The first results from the Canadian election will likely come in late on Monday night or early on Tuesday morning.
However, the election may be called earlier depending on the results in the east – in Ontario and Quebec – which have the biggest tranches of polls.
If either candidate wins big there it could provide a good indicator of who the overall winner will be.
What time do polls close in Canada?
Monday 28 April 2025 19:05
,
Mike Bedigan
Voters across Canada have been hitting the polls all day, but due to the time difference they may be closing at different times.
- The first polls to close will be Newfoundland and parts of Labrador, which will at 7.p.m.
- The provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the rest of Labrador close next at 7.30 p.m.
- Polls in Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and bits of British Columbia will close at 9:30 p.m.
- The rest of British Columbia and Yukon are due to close last, at 10:00 p.m.
Pierre Poilievre and his wife cast their votes
Monday 28 April 2025 18:55
,
Mike Bedigan
Fire reported at polling station on election day
Monday 28 April 2025 18:35
,
Tara Cobham
A fire has been reported at a polling station in Canada on election day.
The WFCU centre in Windsor, Ontario, had to be evacuated today, with voters forced to cast their ballots at another location, according to local reports, including CTV News.
Full story: Canada set to vote in election overshadowed by Trump’s tariff and annexation threats
Monday 28 April 2025 18:30
,
Tara Cobham
Canadians will decide on Monday whether to extend the Liberal Party's decade in power or instead give control to the Conservatives. They will pick either prime minister Mark Carney or opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to lead the way forward, but the election is also a referendum of sorts on someone who isn't even Canadian: Donald Trump.
Until the American president won a second term and began threatening Canada's economy and sovereignty, even suggesting the country should become the 51st state of the US, the Liberals looked headed for defeat.
Canadians go to the polls as the country grapples with the aftermath of a fatal car ramming in Vancouver on Saturday.
Read the full story here:
Poilievre calls on young people to 'vote for change'
Monday 28 April 2025 17:52
Pierre Poilievre has called on young people to “vote for change” in a video posted on Canadian election day.
The leader of the opposition Conservatives said in the caption for the clip: “I have a message for young people: if you want change, go vote! Vote for change. Vote Conservative.”
J'ai un message pour les jeunes: si vous voulez que ça change, allez voter! Votez pour le changement. Votez conservateur. pic.twitter.com/LRLg7gTNiP
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 28, 2025
What is means to be Canadian is 'at stake' in election, warns Carney as Trump dominates campaign
Monday 28 April 2025 17:46
,
Tara Cobham
Mark Carney has warned that what it means to be Canadian is “at stake” in the election today as US president Donald Trump dominates the campaign.
The current Canadian prime minister said in a video posted on social media on election day: “This election is different than any election certainly in my lifetime. Fundamentally, it’s about what it means to be Canadian – and that’s what’s at stake. Are we coming together, or is it everyone for themselves? I prefer that we come together to build a better country.”
This campaign has been about Canada — standing up for the country we love, and celebrating it every chance we get.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 28, 2025
Let’s go vote #CanadaStrong. pic.twitter.com/YqaKvWLBCw
Canadian voters seen lining up outside polling stations and casting ballots
Monday 28 April 2025 17:30
,
Tara Cobham
Canadian voters have been pictured lining up outside polling stations and casting their ballots on election day.
Some were photographed queuing at a polling station in Ottawa, Canada, early this morning, before opening.
Who is Pierre Poilievre? Conservative leader who could become Canada’s next prime minister
Monday 28 April 2025 17:00
,
Tara Cobham
Millions of Canadians are going to the polls on Monday to decide whether to continue the Liberal Party’s decade in power or give the Conservatives a chance at the helm of the country.
It is expected to be a tight race between Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. Carney called a snap election in March, not long after he was sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Justin Trudeau.
Here, my colleague Niamh Cavanagh takes a look at who exactly Pierre Poilievre is.
Conservative leader and wife place votes in Canada's election
Monday 28 April 2025 16:41
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and his wife Anaida have been photographed placing their votes in Canada’s election.
The pair were also snapped leaving the polling station in Ottawa, Ontario, today, as the race has tightened in its final days.
The public broadcaster CBC's poll aggregator has at various points given the Liberals a seven-to-eight point national lead, but on Saturday it put Liberal support at 42.5 per cent, with the Tories at 38.7.
We decide what happens in Canada despite 'crisis' in US, says Carney on election day
Monday 28 April 2025 16:17
,
Tara Cobham
Mark Carney has stated that Canadians “decide what happens” in Canada despite “the crisis in the United States”, as he released a video on election day.
The current Canadian prime minister posted the short clip to X today, showing footage of Donald Trump and of news reports on the 25 per cent tariffs the US president slapped on Canada.
Mr Carney says in the video: “I know people are anxious right now. The crisis in the United States doesn’t stop at their borders.
“They can become divided and weak. But this is Canada and we decided what happens here. Let’s choose to be united and strong – Canada strong.”
This is Canada — and we decide what happens here. pic.twitter.com/1baJGn7pwv
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 28, 2025