Several ridings still too close to call with many mail-in ballots still to be counted

While Canadians didn't have to wait too long on election night to find out who will lead the next government, there are still several individual seats too close to call and it could take a few days to get clear results with many mail-in ballots still to be counted.

As of Tuesday evening, 18 seats had yet to be called, according to CTVNews.ca’s election tracker, with the Liberals leading in nine of the races, the Conservatives leading in two, the Bloc Quebecois leading four and the NDP in three.

The number still to be decided won’t affect the overall election result, which saw the Liberals returned with a minority government, the Conservatives the Official Opposition, and both the Bloc and NDP holding enough seats to partner with the Liberals to push through legislation.

But the outcomes of the individual races will have an impact on the people who live in those ridings, and could also end up affecting the outcome of free votes, where members don’t always vote along party lines.

Seat counts are also often seen as a referendum on party leaders, and any last-minute changes to the projected counts could affect the fates of Erin O’Toole and Jagmeet Singh, as well as opinions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to force the election.