(UPDATE: April 29 @ 6:04 am) - The Liberals have won the election and Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre has lost his seat in an eventful federal ballot.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also lost his seat as his party's support collapsed. The NDP is now on track to lose party status.
As things stand, the Liberals have won or are leading in 168 seats, the Tories in 144, the Bloc Quebecois in 23, the NDP in seven and the Greens in one. A party needs 172 MPs for a majority.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking late last night, promised to unite the country and govern for all after Canadians handed the Liberals a fourth consecutive mandate and what looks set to be a third consecutive minority government.
"Who is ready," he shouted to cheers and applause and people chanting his name in a crowded hockey arena in Ottawa in the wee hours of the morning. "Who is ready? Who is ready to stand up for Canada with me? And who is ready to build Canada strong?"
"Let's put an end to the division and anger of the past," Carney said in his victory speech, noting that millions had voted against his Liberal party.
"We are all Canadian, and my government will work for and with everyone."
He spoke shortly after Pierre Poilievre's concession speech, in which the Conservative leader congratulated Carney on his win.
"We'll have plenty of opportunity to debate and disagree. But tonight we come together as Canadians," Poilievre said.
With all but two polls counted in Poilievre's Carleton riding, his Liberal rival, Bruce Fanjoy, was nearly 4,000 votes ahead, meaning the Tory chief will have to find another seat if he wishes to remain in Parliament.
NDP Leader Singh, meanwhile, lost his Vancouver-area seat and announced he'd be resigning as NDP leader once the party selects an interim replacement.
"We may lose sometimes and those losses hurt," Singh said, fighting emotion as he stood beside his wife on a stage in Burnaby.
"We're only defeated when we believe ... those that tell us that we can never dream of a better Canada, a fairer Canada, a more compassionate Canada."
The party held 24 seats at the dissolution of Parliament and needs 12 to obtain official party status, which comes with additional privileges and research funding in the House of Commons. The NDP was leading or elected in just seven ridings as of 2 a.m. EDT.
Poilievre said he will hold the Liberal government to account, adding that his purpose in politics "will continue to be" working for Canadians to build a safe and affordable country.
"We have to learn the lessons of tonight so that we can have an even better result the next time," he said, adding that he ran in "a very difficult environment."
Carney will take a seat in the House of Commons for the first time, having won his Ottawa-area riding. He said he will make mistakes as prime minister but promised to admit to them and correct them.
"We will fight back with everything we have to get the best deal for Canada," he said. "Together, we will build a Canada worthy of our values."
Earlier in the evening, cheers erupted at the hockey arena where Liberal supporters gathered to watch the results after media outlets declared the party would form government.
At that same moment, Conservative supporters who gathered at a downtown Ottawa convention centre went silent. A man wearing a "Pierre Poilievre for prime minister" T-shirt held his head in his hands.
Some expressed frustration and disbelief after hearing the news that Carney would remain prime minister. "I truly do not understand," said Joanne Gurman.
About 20 minutes after the call was made, some of the Conservative faithful began a chant of "bring it home" — one of Poilievre's most popular slogans during the campaign.
The Liberals have seen a massive rebound since the start of the year, after more than a year of the Conservatives being favoured to win a majority government while Justin Trudeau was in power.
Both the Liberals and Conservatives gained seats while losing incumbents.
Those losses include outspoken Conservative incumbent Michelle Ferreri of Peterborough, Ont., and a Newfoundland riding that the Liberals held for a decade under Gudie Hutchings, a cabinet minister who opted to not run again.
The Liberals flipped Toronto — St. Paul's, with Leslie Church defeating Conservative Don Stewart less than a year after she lost to him in a byelection that sent shock waves through the party last summer and put pressure on Trudeau to resign.
Carney, Singh and Poilievre spent five weeks pitching their cases to voters.
Carney, a former central banker and a political neophyte, presented himself during the campaign as a safe pair of hands for a country facing Trump's economic threats, while Poilievre focused on addressing crime and the high cost of living.
Singh started the campaign saying he was running for prime minister, but he changed his message after two weeks and started calling on Canadians to elect New Democrats to protect social programs.
Trump loomed large over the campaign with his tariff threats and calls for Canada to become a U.S. state, causing Carney to leave the campaign trail at various times to hold meetings in his capacity as prime minister.
The American president even weighed in early on election day with a post on his Truth Social platform, where he repeated calls for Canada to join the U.S. and wished "good luck to the Great people of Canada."
"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," he wrote.
On the final full day of the campaign, all major party leaders paused to address a deadly vehicle attack at a Filipino community event in Vancouver that took the lives of at least 11 attendees, leaving more injured in hospital.
When Parliament was dissolved, the Liberals held 153 seats in a minority government and the Conservatives formed the official Opposition with 120 seats. The Bloc Québécois held 33 seats, the NDP 24 and the Greens two. There were three independent MPs.
Because of changes to riding boundaries, the 2025 general election had 343 seats contested, up from 338.
– With files from Canadian Press
(UPDATE: April 28 @ 10 pm) - The Liberals are projected to win a fourth term under new prime minister Mark Carney.
Votes are still being counted, but the party appears to be on track for a minority government as of 10 pm PDT.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has already resigned after losing his Burnaby Centre seat, one of many lost by the party that is projected to win less than 10 seats.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre spoke to supporters a short time ago and will continue on as leader despite being in danger of losing his seat in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton.
If things hold close to what they look like right now, the Bloc Québécois appear to be in a position to hold the balance of power.
(UPDATE: April 28 @ 8:45 pm) - Canadians handed the Liberals a fourth mandate on Monday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney set to lead Canada through an economic crisis triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Carney will also take a seat in the House of Commons for the first time, having won the Ottawa riding of Nepean.
At midnight EDT ballots were still being counted and dozens of seats are still too close to call. It's not yet known whether the Liberals will lead a majority or minority government.
Some expressed frustration and disbelief after hearing the news that Carney will still be prime minister.
"I truly do not understand," said Joanne Gurman.
Within minutes, Conservative supporters were cheering again as the results appeared to tighten, with many chanting "Bring it home" — of one of Poilievre's most prominent campaign slogans.
About 20 minutes after the call was made, some of the party faithful began a chant of "bring it home" — one of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's most popular slogans during the campaign.
At the NDP venue in a suburb of Vancouver, the mood was tense as a few dozen supporters trickled in from polling offices. Some NDP supporters said they were taking solace in the fact that Poilievre would not form government. It was not yet clear whether NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh would be able to hold his riding.
The Liberals have seen a massive rebound since the start of the year, after more than a year of the Conservatives being favoured to win a majority government while Justin Trudeau was in power.
Early results suggest the NDP could lose many of its seats as some left-centre voters turned to the Liberals as an alternative to Poilievre's Conservatives.
In the Ontario riding of Peterborough, outspoken Conservative incumbent Michelle Ferreri has been defeated by Liberal candidate Emma Harrison.
Liberals have flipped Toronto — St. Paul's, with Leslie Church defeating Conservative Don Stewart less than a year after she lost to him in a byelection.
That loss, in what is typically considered a safe seat for the Liberals, sent shock waves through the party and pressure immediately began to mount on Trudeau to resign.
The Newfoundland riding that had been held for a decade by Gudie Hutchings, a Liberal cabinet minister, has flipped to the Conservatives. Hutchings had opted not to seek another mandate in this election.
The Tories have lost the South Shore — St. Margarets riding in Nova Scotia, which had been held by Rick Perkins since 2021. Liberal candidate Jessica Fancy-Landry has taken the riding.
Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh spent five weeks pitching their cases to voters.
Each of the main party leaders settled into their home ridings Monday after an eventful but compressed election period that lasted the minimum 37 days.
Carney, a former central banker and a political neophyte, presented himself during the campaign as a safe pair of hands for a country facing Trump's economic threats, while Poilievre focused on addressing crime and the high cost of living.
While Singh started the campaign saying he was running for prime minister, he changed his message after two weeks and started calling on Canadians to elect New Democrats to protect social programs.
Trump loomed large over the campaign with his tariff threats and calls for Canada to become a U.S. state, causing Carney to leave the campaign trail at various times to hold meetings in his capacity as prime minister.
The American president even weighed in early on election day with a post on his Truth Social platform, where he repeated calls for Canada to join the U.S. and wished "good luck to the Great people of Canada."
"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," he wrote.
On the final full day of the campaign, all major party leaders paused to address a deadly vehicle attack at a Filipino community event in Vancouver that took the lives of at least 11 attendees, leaving more injured in hospital.
When Parliament was dissolved, the Liberals held 153 seats in a minority government and the Conservatives formed the official Opposition with 120 seats. The Bloc Québécois held 33 seats, the NDP 24 and the Greens two. There were three independent MPs.
Because of changes to riding boundaries, the 2025 general election had 343 seats contested, up from 338.
Majority government status requires a minimum of 172 seats.
— With files from Kyle Duggan, Sarah Ritchie, and Craig Lord in Ottawa, Rianna Lim in Toronto and David Baxter in Burnaby, B.C.
(UPDATE: April 28 @ 7:25 pm) - The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting a Liberal government following a short, intense and heated federal election campaign.
As of 10:22 p.m. EDT, the Liberals had received 50 per cent of the popular vote while the Tories held 39 per cent.
Preliminary results for 43 ridings show the Liberals taking 28 seats and the Conservatives holding 21, with the Bloc Québécois holding four seats.
(UPDATE: April 28 @ 6:40 pm) - Polls have now closed everywhere but British Columbia and Yukon and federal election results so far show a slight Liberal lead on the East Coast following a short, intense and heated federal election campaign.
The Canadian Press decision desk projects the Liberals have taken 21 of the 32 ridings in Atlantic provinces, with eight for the Conservatives and another three undetermined.
The Liberals held 24 seats in the region after the 2021 election.
At 9:30 EDT the polls closed in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
So far, the Liberals are leading with 52 per cent of votes, compared to 40 per cent for the Conservatives.
The Newfoundland riding that had been held for a decade by Gudie Hutchings, a Liberal cabinet minister, has flipped to the Conservatives. Hutchings had opted not to seek another mandate in this election.
(Original story: April 28 @ 5:45 pm) - With polls open for another hour in most of the country, early results are showing a tight race following a short, intense and heated federal election campaign.
As of 8:30 p.m. EDT, the Liberals are leading in 21 of the 32 ridings where polls have closed. The Canadian Press decision desk has so far called five ridings, with three for the Liberals and two for the Conservatives.
The Newfoundland riding that had been held for a decade by Gudie Hutchings, a Liberal cabinet minister, has flipped to the Conservatives. Hutchings had opted not to seek another mandate in this election.
The first polls closed in Newfoundland and Labrador at 7 p.m. EDT, followed by polls in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick at 7:30 p.m. EDT. All remaining polls east of B.C. and Yukon are set to close at 9:30 p.m. EDT.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh spent five weeks pitching their cases to voters.
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Each of the main party leaders settled into their home ridings Monday after an eventful but compressed election period that lasted the minimum 37 days.
Poilievre arrived at a polling station in his Carleton riding on Monday morning and echoed his campaign slogan by encouraging Canadians to "get out to vote — for a change" as he dropped his ballot in the box.
He wrapped up his campaign with a rally Sunday night in his home riding — one of the ridings that's expected to see a close contest between the Liberals and Conservatives as votes are counted tonight.
Carney voted Monday afternoon alongside his wife Diana Fox Carney at a polling station set up in an Anglican church in Ottawa.
The Liberal leader asked a poll worker about the level of turnout so far, and then confessed that he was "pretty tired" after flying in from British Columbia overnight.
Singh, who cast his ballot amid the record-setting advance voting turnout earlier in the month, was still campaigning Monday in Port Moody, B.C.
He joined supporters waving signs on the side of the road and offered inspiration to the NDP volunteers headed out to knock on doors and get out the vote, saying they should tell Canadians to elect New Democrats so they can stand up to whichever party ends up forming government.
"Remind people, it's all because of you," he said. "Because you vote NDP, we're able to fight for you."
Carney, a former central banker and a political neophyte, presented himself during the campaign as a safe pair of hands for a country threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, while Poilievre focused on addressing crime and the high cost of living.
While Singh started the campaign saying he was running for prime minister, he changed his message after two weeks and started calling on Canadians to elect New Democrats to protect social programs.
Trump loomed large over the campaign with his tariff threats and calls for Canada to become a U.S. state, causing Carney to leave the campaign trail at various times to hold meetings in his capacity as prime minister.
The American president even weighed in early on election day with a post on his Truth Social platform, where he repeated calls for Canada to join the U.S. and wished "good luck to the Great people of Canada."
"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," he wrote.
Voting was disrupted in a Windsor, Ont., riding on Monday after a fire closed down a recreation centre that was serving as a polling station.
Some voters in the Windsor—Tecumseh — Lakeshore riding were evacuated from the WFCU Centre and directed to a nearby high school to vote.
Speaking to reporters after casting a ballot in his riding, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said he was more impatient than nervous as he waited for the outcome.
Unlike his opponents, Blanchet has not framed this election as the most significant in a lifetime.
"It is an important election, like any election is important. It should never be taken lightly," Blanchet said.
On the final full day of the campaign, all major party leaders paused to address a deadly vehicle attack at a Filipino community event in Vancouver that took the lives of at least 11 attendees, leaving more wounded in hospital.
The Liberals have seen a massive rebound since the start of the year, with most polls suggesting they lead the Conservatives — who were long favoured to win a majority government while Justin Trudeau was in power.
Polls suggest the NDP could lose many of its seats as left-centre voters turn to the Liberals in an effort to prevent Poilievre from forming government.
When Parliament was dissolved, the Liberals held 153 seats in a minority government and the Conservatives formed the official Opposition with 120 seats. The Bloc Québécois held 33 seats, the NDP 24 and the Greens two. There were three independent MPs.
Because of changes to riding boundaries, the 2025 general election will see 343 seats contested, up from 338.
To reach majority status in the next Parliament, a party would need to secure a minimum of 172 seats.
— with files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal and Rianna Lim in Toronto
