Polling stations have begun closing in Canada in a crucial election that will decide the country’s next leader, its response to US President Donald Trump’s threats, and the direction of its economy during a time of global uncertainty.
The vote comes just weeks after Justin Trudeau stepped down and Mark Carney took over as leader, with Trump’s tariffs and sovereignty threats reshaping the race.
Canada election: Exit poll and result timings
Polling across Canada is wrapping up, with results expected late Monday night. Due to the country’s six time zones, polls opened and are closing in a staggered manner to make vote counting more manageable.
Most polls will close by 9:30 pm Eastern Time.
Exit polls, conducted by several media outlets, are typically released shortly after voting ends. Since the first polls closed in Newfoundland at 8:00 pm EST, exit poll updates are expected to begin around that time.
According to The New York Times, the first official results will come from Newfoundland, followed by returns from Atlantic Canada and Labrador, where polls closed around 7:30 pm Eastern.
For viewers in India, exit polls and early results are expected to start coming in from around 6:00 am IST on April 29.
Ballots across Canada are counted manually, not by machines. As a result, while early trends may emerge Monday night, preliminary results are expected to be clear by late Monday or early Tuesday morning.
Poll closing times across Canada
Top candidates in the race:
The current leader: Carney, 60, stepped into the prime minister’s role, succeeding Trudeau just a month ago. His background spans central banking and executive positions internationally. As a centrist throughout his career in influential circles, he positions himself as Trump’s opposite, pledging to utilise his financial knowledge to strengthen the nation’s economy and protect it from Trump’s trade barriers and territorial claims.
The opposition: Pierre Poilievre, 45, has spent his career in politics, advocating for decreased regulation and reduced federal authority. His rhetorical and political alignment with Trump – including criticism of “woke ideology,” proposals to eliminate national broadcaster funding and reduce international aid – has alienated voters who view him as too closely aligned with Trump, particularly when the US president is considered hostile to Canadian interests.
In the Canadian parliamentary structure, constituents vote for their local representative in electoral districts, called ridings. The candidate receiving the highest votes wins, and the party securing the most parliamentary seats forms the government, regardless of whether they hold a majority.
The Canadian Parliament consists of 343 seats.
The Times of India will offer live coverage of the Canadian election results, providing real-time updates as votes are counted.
