Canada Election 2025: Millions of Canadians are casting their ballots to decide who will lead the nation through a period of diplomatic and economic turmoil, particularly concerning relations with the United States. First results are being projected in Canada, where a snap election is underway to determine the country’s next prime minister, reported Reuters. The two leading contenders are the Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney, which has been in power for a decade, and the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre.
The first Canadian election polls closed on Monday after a campaign dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and statements about annexing Canada. Polls in Atlantic Canada’s four provinces have closed, while voting continues in Ontario and Quebec — the provinces with the most electoral districts — as well as in the four western provinces and three territories.
According to Canadian public broadcaster CBC News, the Conservatives are projected to have gained the Long Range Mountains seat from the Liberals in Newfoundland and Labrador. Early results from Atlantic Canada show encouraging numbers for the Conservatives.
Voters are electing 343 members of parliament, with a party needing 172 seats to form a majority government. In early counting, the Liberals were leading in 21 of Atlantic Canada’s 32 districts, followed by the Conservatives with 11. The Liberals previously held 23 seats before the election.
Recent polls have tightened, with the Liberals leading the Conservatives by a few percentage points. A Liberal win in the popular vote typically results in forming government, as Conservative support is largely concentrated in rural areas with fewer seats.
Trump’s threats have ignited a wave of patriotism, boosting support for Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, a political newcomer who previously headed two G7 central banks.
Poilievre told Trump to “stay out of our election,” while Carney urged Canadians to be “united and strong” against the “crisis in the United States.”
Trump re-emerged as a factor in the campaign last week, threatening a 25% tariff on Canadian-made cars and suggesting he might use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.
Trump, in a social media post on Monday, said, “Good luck to the Great people of Canada,” he said. “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. No more artificially drawn line from many years ago.”
