In January, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he would be stepping down as Canada’s leader. Since then, the Liberal Party members have elected Mark Carney as the new federal leader. Now, many Canadians are wondering what will happen next.

Here are some things you should know about Canada’s current federal government and the upcoming election.

What happens when the prime minister steps down?

While Canada waits for a new federal leader, parliament will be progued. This is a fancy word that means to pause the government. During this time, Mark Carney was voted as the new prime minister. The government stayed progued until March 24th. Until then, Justin Trudeau remained our prime minister, after which Mark Carney stepped into his role as our new leader.

What happens to the laws that haven’t been passed yet?

While the government is progued, the federal government will get rid of all bills. These are any proposed laws that haven’t been passed yet. It also means that no new laws can be passed.

When is the next election?

Normally, a federal election can only happen every five years. This means the federal election was set to take place on October 20th of this year. However, Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for an earlier election which will happen on April 28th. This is called a snap election.

Who can vote?

In order to vote in the Canadian federal election, you must be:

• a Canadian citizen (temporary or permanent residents can’t vote)
• 18 years old
• on the registered voter’s list

On election day, bring your voter card to the polling station in your voting district or riding. You can check the Elections Canada website if you don’t know what your riding is. If you can’t vote on election day, you can also vote on one of the advanced polling days. You can also apply for a special ballot which allows you to vote by mail.

Federal Elections, CIVIX

Do Canadians elect a prime minister?

In Canada, you don’t elect a prime minister. Instead, you elect a member of parliament (MP) who represents your riding. There are 343 ridings in Canada. The MPs in each riding are divided into parties. The party with the most MPs forms our government. Typically, the leader of the winning party becomes our prime minister. Although, in our current situation, Mark Carney did not have a seat in our parliament before he became prime minister.

Does the popular vote matter in Canada?

Many people think you are directly voting for a prime minister. This is the case in the United States where every voter gets to elect a presidential candidate. They have two main parties, and they face off to get the most votes. In Canada, it’s not as simple since we are electing the MP in our riding. This makes the popular vote meaningless. In fact, more people have voted against the party in charge than for it. The 2021 federal election is a great example of this. In Alberta, the conservative candidate won by over 27,000 votes. This means he beat the other party and got 27,000 more votes. However, he only got one seat in the House of Commons. For the same election, 11 million people voted against the Liberal Party, yet they still won the election. This is because we have six major parties whereas countries like the United States only have two.

How to get involved if you can’t vote

Even if you’re unable to vote in the upcoming federal election there are still some ways you can stay involved. Here are some tips:

1. Stay informed: Follow the news to keep updated on what’s going on. Some reliable Canadian news sources are CTV, CBC, and Global News.
2. Do your research: Read about the six different parties and what key issues they stand on.
3. Attend municipal council meetings: Most local politics impact our daily lives more than federal politics. These meetings are usually open to the public. This is a great chance to ask your municipal leader questions about your neighborhood. Not sure who your city councilor is? Check the City of Winnipeg website to find out.

 
Sources: How does Canada’s general election work? A simple guide, BBC; Opinion:There is no popular vote in Canada, Marc Kitteringham, Campbell River Mirror; and What does Canada’s prorogation of Parliament mean and could it trigger a snap election? Janis Ramsay, InsideHalton.com.