Federal Elections | Discover Canada Guide

As a new citizen, this chapter describes a right you will personally gain the moment your citizenship is confirmed: the right to vote federally.

Who can vote

To vote in a federal election, you must be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years old on election day, and be registered on the voters' list (the National Register of Electors), which you can typically join automatically when you apply for citizenship, or register separately with Elections Canada.

First-past-the-post

Canada elects its House of Commons using a first-past-the-post (single member plurality) system: the country is divided into electoral districts called ridings, and in each riding, whichever candidate receives the most votes, not necessarily a majority, wins that seat and becomes the riding's Member of Parliament. The party that wins the most seats overall typically forms the government, and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister.

Elections Canada

Elections Canada is the independent, non-partisan agency responsible for administering federal elections and referendums, ensuring the process is fair and accessible, and enforcing the Canada Elections Act. It is separate from the government of the day precisely so that elections are not run by whichever party happens to be in power.

How often elections happen

The Constitution allows a maximum of five years between federal elections, and federal law sets fixed election dates every four years, though a Prime Minister can ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election earlier, and a government can also fall and trigger an election if it loses a confidence vote in the House of Commons.