Canada holds elections for the Federal (National), provincial or territorial, and municipal governments. The political system of Canada is based on that of the United Kingdom- it is a constitutional monarchy. The Canadian electoral system is based on a parliamentary system of government. The parliament of Canada comprises of:

●      The Sovereign- represented by the Governor-General who is officially representing the Queen of Canada.

●      Upper House (the Senate)- the members are appointed by the Governor-General as per the recommendation of the Prime Minister

●      Lower House (the House of Commons)- citizens elect the members through federal general elections.

The Basics

There are 105 seats in the Senate and 338 in the House of Commons. The government is formed by the members of the House of Commons who are elected by the citizens of Canada. The Canadian Federal Election System is governed by the Canada Elections Act.

The Federal Elections are held after every fourth calendar year of the previous general elections. However, they can be held early if the Governor-General accepts the Prime Minister’s advise to dissolve parliament or if the Prime Minister’s resigns after the government has been defeated on a motion of confidence in the House and the Governor-General doesn’t ask the leader of another party to become PM and form a government.

After the elections, the party winning over the largest number of seats will form the government and the Governor-General asks the leader of the winning party to be the Prime Minister. He/she must always be able to maintain the confidence of the House to remain in power. The party with the second-largest number of elected representatives forms the official Opposition, and the leader of the party is the Leader of the Opposition.

The Prime Minister selects people to be Cabinet Ministers, they are usually from the House of Commons of his/her party or senators or other people from outside the Parliament.

Constituencies in Canada

There are 338 single-member constituencies, or “ridings” in Canada. Voters can vote in only one riding, for one of the candidates running for the office, in which they have been enumerated. There are several polling stations in one constituency, each with around 250 to 450 electors. Voters are required to cast their ballot in the polling station where their names are registered.

Who can Vote?

Every Canadian citizen aged 18 or above has the right to vote. People currently residing in Canada, or if at any point in their life have resided in Canada, as of polling day can vote in Federal General Elections. For other levels of government, there may be other requirements for the right to vote.

According to Canada Electoral Law, the Chief Electoral Officer has the responsibility to inform the public about the election system and their rights under it, and to deal with any obstacle that may hinder the voting for some.

During elections, Canadians are informed -about their voting rights, how to get on the National Register of Electors and the voters’ list, and where and how they can vote- through press releases, advertisements, and meetings in the community and ethno cultural groups. The public is also informed about the background of candidates and telephone services and websites are open to answer the queries of people.

Election Day in Canada

On the day of the election, voters head to the polls across the country. Voting hours are ample to give everyone a chance to cast their vote. Employers are required by the law to ensure that their employees have three hours to vote on election day.

Voting is open for 12 hours on all the polling booths; however, Canada is spread over 6 different time zones which have caused dissatisfaction in the Western Provinces. Media often declares the elections over before the voting has closed in British Columbia. From 1997, the voting hours were set such that the polls close at about the same time on all the polling stations. There is only a three hours gap between the closing of polls in Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia.

Voting Accommodations

Helping voters to vote and resolving any obstacle is an important part of Elections Canada’s work. Earlier, voting was restricted to the polling stations on the day of the election, now there are advance polls for the voters who are unable to vote on election day.

There are several ways for the voters to cast their votes and are available for anyone who wishes to use them. There are 4 days of advance voting, ten days before the election. Voters who are away from their ridings/constituencies or even those who are in their ridings but do not wish to go to the polling station can request a mail-in special ballot. In special cases, people with disabilities may vote at home in the presence of an Election Officer.

Election Officers are posted at the polling stations and mostly speak both English and French, to help the people. A deputy returning officer can appoint an interpreter to help communicate with a voter in case he/she does not understand the language or is having some difficulty.

Candidates

Any number of candidates may run for election in each riding, but each candidate can only run in one electoral district. Candidates may run either independently or under the name of a political party. Each party endorses only one candidate per riding. It is required that every political party is registered with the Chief Electoral Officer.

Parties decide the procedures through which they select their candidates for riding, but the financial arrangements are regulated. Nomination contestants are subject to financial disclosure laws and must not spend more than 20 percent of the spending limit for that riding in a federal election.

First Past the Post

Canada’s electoral system is known as the “single-member plurality” / “first-past-the-post” system. In each riding, the candidate with the highest number of votes wins a seat in the House of Commons and represents his/her riding as its Member of Parliament.

A candidate does not require an absolute majority to be elected. For instance in a constituency where two candidates are running, to get elected one must have the majority of the votes; however, if three or more candidates are running, one may be elected even with less than 50 percent of the votes, that would constitute a true majority.