Canadians vote today after fierce campaign shaped by Trump

Millions of Canadians are expected to formed their ballots contiguous successful a pivotal predetermination that volition determine who volition pb the state done a commercialized conflict with the United States.

The 36-day run has been thing abbreviated of singular for the starring contenders: Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Just a fewer months ago, polls suggested Poilievre was each but guaranteed to drawback up the bulk authorities he'd agelong been waiting for, aft Canadians soured connected erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau.

Then came Trudeau's early January resignation, U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized warfare and persistent barbs astir making Canada the 51st authorities — flipping the political script.

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With Trump announcing, pausing, past re-announcing devastating tariffs connected Canadian goods, the run mostly became a contention astir who is champion to steer Canada done planetary uncertainty.

While the wide borderline betwixt the 2 starring parties narrowed successful the last stretch, polls suggest the contention is the Liberal Party's to lose.

According to CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals support an borderline successful seat-rich Ontario and Quebec, as good arsenic successful B.C. and Atlantic Canada, and are favoured to triumph the astir seats.

But it's acold from a done woody and arsenic the leaders and their teams person repeated passim the campaign: the lone canvass that matters is connected predetermination day.

Carney focuses connected Trump

Carney tried to specify himself arsenic a steady, mature person who is champion to woody with the unpredictable president and representation retired a caller economical and information relationship.

While criss-crossing the country, the freshly minted person pointed to his clip arsenic the politician of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 planetary fiscal situation and caput of the Bank of England during the Brexit years arsenic grounds that Canadians should spot him to steer the country's system done turbulent times. 

In 1 of his astir repeated run code lines, Carney argued that "Trump is trying to interruption america truthful that America tin ain us."

"And well, that volition ne'er happen," helium often told crowds that gathered to perceive the governmental newbie speak.

Carney has had a whirlwind 2025 truthful far. He handily won the Liberal enactment March 9 and was sworn successful arsenic premier curate conscionable 9 days earlier triggering an election. 

Carney's top weakness going into the run was expected to beryllium his shaky French, which helium graded six retired of 10, but helium emerged from the French statement and an ever-important interrogation with the fashionable amusement Tout le monde en parle relatively unscathed.

His run did deed immoderate snags. He was accused past week of not telling the full information astir his conversation with Trump aft it was revealed the president raised Canada becoming the 51st authorities connected the call. Carney had said instantly aft the telephone that Trump respected Canada's sovereignty.

It's unclear if voters volition spot it that way, oregon whether it volition interaction their choice.

The past time of the run is usually filled with excitement arsenic the parties effort to physique last momentum and get their connection out. Sunday nevertheless was twinged by tragedy, pursuing a car-ramming astatine a Filipino thoroughfare festival successful Vancouver that near 11 dormant and much than 20 injured.

The acheronian extremity of the run saw astir of the leaders either cancel events oregon determination astir their schedules to connection condolences to the families.

While Carney's last propulsion was toned down, helium did deed contested areas including Saskatoon and Edmonton, a motion his run is assured heading into Monday's vote. 

Poilievre pushed for change

Poilievre argued the predetermination comes down to 1 word: change. 

Over the past 5 weeks the Conservative argued Carney is an hold of the past 10 years of Liberal rule, routinely pointing to Carney's presumption arsenic Trudeau's economical advisor arsenic proof.

"After the mislaid Liberal decennary of rising crime, chaos, drugs and disorder, we cannot hazard a 4th Liberal term. We person to reverse the policies that got america into this mess," helium said Sunday astatine a packed rally successful Oakville, Ont. 

Poilievre spent portion of the past week rallying his basal with stops successful comparatively harmless regions successful Alberta and Saskatchewan.

He past turned to the Greater Toronto Area, wherever winning seats is cardinal to a Conservative victory. His last halt Sunday was successful his Ottawa riding of Carleton, which Liberals person been targeting. 

Poilievre has represented the riding since 2004 and took the reins of the Conservative Party successful 2022.  Throughout the run helium has turned to his ain story, calved to a teen ma and adopted by teachers, arsenic an illustration of what's imaginable successful this state portion arguing the "promise" of Canada has been broken.

Known for his combative benignant of politics, Poilievre has tried to connection a much calm — much smiley — representation lately. He's managed to pull levels of enactment not seen since Stephen Harper's 2011 bulk win, but has watched his party's 20-plus constituent pb successful the polls nosedive arsenic NDP, Bloc and Green voters crook to Carney's Liberals.

Poilievre has faced disapproval that helium was excessively dilatory to pivot from the ballot container questions helium wanted  to run connected — the c tax, affordability and Trudeau's unpopularity — to Trump's commercialized warfare and revived Canadian patriotism. 

He's defended his approach, arguing Canadians stock his concerns astir the lodging situation and amerciable drugs. 

"I volition not halt talking astir these problems that predate Donald Trump and that volition outlast Donald Trump if we bash not hole them," the person argued.

Singh says he's warring for Canadians

With the run framed truthful tightly astir Trump, the different 2 main parties person sometimes recovered themselves squeezed retired of the conversation.

With voters kicking the Liberals' tires, the NDP and Bloc Québécois could endure important spot losses Monday night,  according to the Poll Tracker.

Singh, fronting his 3rd run arsenic leader, has been dogged by questions astir the NDP's mediocre polling and his aboriginal since the run started. 

He pushed back, arguing that sending NDP MPs to the House of Commons successful a number authorities volition support the adjacent authorities successful cheque and "improve people's lives."

Friday helium stood by his determination to not trigger a national predetermination sooner, adjacent aft ripping up the supply-and-confidence statement helium had signed with the Trudeau Liberals. 

"I could not tummy the thought of Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives forming a bulk government," Singh said.

"I knew that it was going to beryllium atrocious due to the fact that of their cuts, due to the fact that of the division, due to the fact that of the things they wanted."

Singh is speedy to constituent retired his woody with Trudeau pushed the Liberals to bring successful pharmacare and a dental attraction programs, policies that New Democrats person sought for years.

Singh spent the last days of the run shoring up orangish enactment successful the borderline metropolis of Windsor, Ont., and past successful British Columbia arsenic the enactment hopes to support official party status. 

Bloc person pitches his enactment arsenic champion for Quebec 

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has besides been moving to clasp the equilibrium of powerfulness successful the House, with his location state erstwhile again proving to beryllium an important battleground for deciding the last outcome. The separatist party lone runs candidates successful Quebec and its mandate has long been to enactment arsenic a dependable for Quebecers successful Ottawa.

During the last days of the campaign, Blanchet courted contention erstwhile he described his relation arsenic serving successful a "foreign Parliament" and called Canada "an artificial state with precise small meaning."

"This federation is not mine," helium said. 

Polls suggest the Green Party is astatine hazard of being wiped disconnected Canada's electoral map, but co-Leader Elizabeth May has said she's hopeful the Greens tin not lone clasp their 2 seats successful the House of Commons but grow.

The archetypal results are expected to trickle successful from the Atlantic provinces conscionable aft 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. The bulk of votes volition beryllium counted aft 9:30 p.m. ET, including from Ontario and Quebec. The past tranche of votes volition travel from British Columbia and Yukon opening astir 10 p.m. ET.

You tin cheque erstwhile polling stations in your portion adjacent here.

Approximately 7.3 cardinal Canadians already voted successful beforehand polls, according to Elections Canada. 

You tin ticker CBC's peculiar predetermination sum opening astatine 6:30 p.m. ET.