{"id":1918,"date":"2021-08-19T22:25:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T02:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canlives.com\/?p=1918"},"modified":"2021-08-19T22:58:43","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T02:58:43","slug":"about-federal-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canlives.com\/?p=1918","title":{"rendered":"About federal elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elections Canada is the independent, non-partisan agency responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums. Its mission is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their democratic rights to vote and be a candidate.<\/p>\n

Canada is a representative democracy divided into 338 ridings. When a federal election is called, Canadians vote to elect a member of Parliament to represent them in the House of Commons, where the member will debate and pass laws on behalf of their constituents. The candidate who receives the most votes in a riding is declared the winner. This is called a \u201cfirst-past-the-post\u201d system.<\/p>\n

Each member of Parliament has a seat in the House of Commons. Candidates can represent a political party, or can be independent, meaning they have no association with a political party.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Canada Elections Act<\/span>\u00a0states that a general election shall be held on the third Monday of October every four years. However, the Act does not prevent a general election from being held on another date. By law, election day must be at least 36 days and no more than 50 days after the day when an election is called.<\/p>\n

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Elections step-by-step<\/h2>\n
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1. Dissolution<\/h3>\n

The Governor General ends Parliament on the request of the Prime Minister and directs the Chief Electoral Officer to issue the writs of election. The writ is the official paperwork that launches an election in each riding.<\/p>\n

2. Candidates<\/h3>\n

Once an election is called, each party decides who its candidate will be in each riding. A candidate can also run for election without a party, as either an \u201cindependent\u201d or with \u201cno affiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Campaigning<\/h3>\n

During the campaign period, candidates try to convince voters that they are the best choice to represent them in Parliament.<\/p>\n

4. Voting<\/h3>\n

The most common way to vote is at the polls on election day. Electors must prove their identity and address before getting a ballot. They then go behind a voting screen to privately mark their ballot. Election workers must follow strict procedures to ensure the secrecy of the vote.<\/p>\n

Voting hours across Canada<\/span>
\nOn the day of a general election, voting hours are staggered so that the majority of results are available at approximately the same time across the country.<\/p>\n

Voting hours at polling stations for each time zone across Canada
\nTime zone Voting hours (local time)
\nNewfoundland Time 8:30 a.m.\u20138:30 p.m.
\nAtlantic Time 8:30 a.m.\u20138:30 p.m.
\nEastern Time 9:30 a.m.\u20139:30 p.m.
\nCentral Time* 8:30 a.m.\u20138:30 p.m.
\nMountain Time* 7:30 a.m.\u20137:30 p.m.
\nPacific Time 7:00 a.m.\u20137:00 p.m.
\n*In Saskatchewan, when daylight saving time is in effect for the rest of the country, voting hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (local time).<\/p>\n

Electoral districts spanning more than one time zone
\nIf an electoral district spans more than one time zone, the returning officer, with the prior approval of the Chief Electoral Officer, determines one local time for voting throughout the district.<\/p>\n

The correct voting hours will be listed on the voter information cards sent to electors living in these electoral districts. The voting hours can also be found in the online Voter Information Service under Where do I vote?<\/p>\n

The electoral districts spanning more than one time zone are:<\/p>\n

Labrador
\nGasp\u00e9sie\u2013Les \u00celes-de-la-Madeleine
\nKenora
\nThunder Bay\u2013Rainy River
\nKootenay\u2013Columbia
\nNunavut<\/p>\n

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Registered<\/a> Political Parties<\/a><\/h2>\n