After a dynamic and high-stakes election, Prime Minister Mark Carney won a new term on Monday night. It was a sharp turnaround for his Liberal Party, which surged in popularity after making President Trump’s economic and sovereignty threats a centrepiece of the campaign.
The race tightened dramatically in recent weeks. Pre-election polling showed that the Liberal Party, led by Carney, held a slim edge over the Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre. Three other parties — the left-leaning New Democrats, the Green Party, and Quebec’s sovereigntist Bloc Québécois — also fought for seats in the 343-member House of Commons. In Canada’s parliamentary system, the party that wins the most seats forms the government, even without a majority, and its leader becomes prime minister.
Just months ago, the Conservatives appeared poised to end a decade of Liberal leadership, with Poilievre leading the polls by more than 25 points. But the political landscape shifted after Justin Trudeau’s resignation and a cascade of external pressures, including Trump’s threats toward Canada’s sovereignty (on election morning, Trump posted on Truth Social about his desire to make Canada the 51st state). When Carney took over from Trudeau in March, he quickly positioned himself as a steady hand against Trump.
8:00 PM ET – Polls closed in Atlantic Canada, results begin to roll in
Polls closed earlier tonight in Atlantic Canada — Newfoundland and Labrador at 7:00 PM ET, and Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island at 7:30 PM ET.
The first results are now coming in. According to Elections Canada, the independent agency that runs the vote, early counts show the Liberal Party leading in more ridings across the region. However, the Conservative Party is currently ahead in the overall popular vote, holding about 50.6% compared to the Liberals’ 43.6%. NDP trails well behind at this stage.
While the Atlantic provinces hold just 32 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons, they can offer an early hint of where the night is headed. A strong Liberal showing here could signal resilience, but the Conservative lead in vote share will be something to watch closely as the night unfolds.
At 9:30 PM ET, polls will close in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The last polls to close will be in British Columbia and Yukon, the country’s westernmost provinces, where voting will continue until 10 p.m.
Stay with us for more updates as the results continue to roll in.
8:05 PM ET — Elections Canada website appears to be down
The website of Elections Canada, the independent agency that runs the vote, is giving an error message to many users.
Several national broadcasters are mentioning the outage in their programs, and social media users, such as Conservative campaign manager Stephen Taylor, are questioning it online.
8:20 PM ET: Liberals take first wins in Newfoundland and Labrador
The Liberals have secured their first two victories of the night in Atlantic Canada, according to CTV News.
Tom Osborne has been re-elected in the newly created riding of Cape Spear, winning 54.7% of the vote. NDP candidate Brenda Walsh sits at 23.1%, with Conservative Corey Curtis at 20.4%.
Meanwhile, in the Avalon riding, Liberal candidate Paul Connors has been declared the winner. Connors stepped in after longtime Liberal MP Ken McDonald chose not to seek re-election.
All eyes are on Atlantic Canada tonight for early signals about how the 2025 federal election may unfold across the country.
8:47 PM ET: Elections Canada confirms issues on its website
Elections Canada has confirmed the technical issues Canadians from across the country have been reporting.
Elections Canada wrote on X, “some electors are experiencing difficulties accessing Elections Canada’s website. To find your polling place, check your voter information card, contact your local Elections Canada office or call us at 1-800-463-6868.”
In an email to CTV News, Elections Canada wrote, “At 7 PM, Elections Canada was informed that some electors were experiencing difficulties accessing the elections.ca website. We are currently investigating the issue.”
8:56 PM ET: At Montreal headquarters, Bloc Québécois looks to hold ground amid challenging campaign
According to CTV News, there is a mood of cautious optimism tonight at the Bloc Québécois headquarters in Montreal, as the party hopes to limit its losses in Quebec.
The Bloc, a Quebec separatist party that advocates for the province’s interests and sovereignty, faced a difficult start to the campaign. Much of the national conversation was dominated by issues outside the Bloc’s core message, including President Trump’s controversial remarks about Canadian sovereignty and an escalating trade war.
As results begin to trickle in, the party is watching closely to see if it can hold its ground in key ridings across Quebec.
9:16 PM ET — Elections Canada website service restored
Elections Canada, the nation’s independent election agency, appears to have restored service on its website after nearly two hours of intermittent outages, according to CBC News.
A banner on the website says they are aware of the issue and that some of the site’s services are still unavailable.
Earlier, the Elections Canada website was down for some users — specifically the page where you can use your postal code to look up information about your riding.
If you haven’t cast your ballet yet, you can now visit Elections Canada to find out which station to vote at.
9:31 PM ET — Polls closed across most of Canada
Polls have now closed in the majority of Canada, and in the country’s most populous provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Voting continues for a short while longer in the westernmost provinces of British Columbia and Yukon, where polls close at 10:00 PM ET.
Vote-counting is underway, and results are expected to be released shortly from over 200 ridings in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories.
10:00 PM ET — With polls closed in British Columbia and Yukon, voting concludes nationwide
Polls are now closed in British Columbia and Yukon, meaning voting has wrapped up across Canada.
British Columbia holds 43 ridings — a significant share of tonight’s remaining undecided seats — while Yukon holds one.
At this stage, the Liberals need to win 18 more seats to secure a majority government. The outcomes in British Columbia could play a pivotal role in determining whether they achieve it.
10:11 PM ET — Liberals projected to form government, Carney to remain Prime Minister
Canada’s Liberal Party has won tonight’s federal election, according to CBC News.
Mark Carney’s Liberals have secured enough seats in the 45th federal election to form another government, ensuring that Carney will remain Canada’s 64th prime minister.
It is still too early to determine whether the Liberals will hold a minority or a majority, but the CBC Decision Desk is projecting another term for the party.
Full results are expected later this evening or early tomorrow.
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