Election day 2021: Canadians to decide who will lead the country

After 36 days of parties campaigning for their votes, Canadians are making their voices heard, heading to the polls across 338 ridings to elect their next member of Parliament and ultimately determining who will form the next federal government at a pivotal time in the pandemic.

Will Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s pandemic election gamble pay off? Or, will voters agree with Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s pitch that now is the time for change?

Will Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet be able to maintain third-party standing in the House of Commons? Will the NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, be able to pick up seats? Will Green Party Leader Annamie Paul win her riding? And, will the People’s Party of Canada’s uptick in support translate to seats, or just enough to split the vote on the right?

In a federal election like no other given COVID-19’s continued spread and active national conversation about mandating vaccinations, the outcome of this vote will inform how the next governing party proceeds in the fight against the virus and building a path towards addressing other key issues that arose on the campaign trail: housing affordability, childcare, and economic growth.

While some party leaders opted to vote in advance, others headed to polling places in their ridings on Monday to join the millions of Canadians who are casting ballots.