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.
Canada is a representative democracy divided into 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 “first-past-the-post” system.
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.
The Canada Elections Act states 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.
