Canadians are poised to elect a new government on Monday (28 April), with Mark Carney’s Liberals striving to extend their grip on power against Pierre Poilievre’s surging Conservatives.
The former central banker’s party is banking on the erosion of support for the New Democrats, the Bloc Québécois and even the Greens, who are defending a mere two seats, to bolster its chances of victory, reports Bloomberg.
Voting hours across Canada conclude on 28 April, with polls closing progressively according to local time zones.
The first stations will shut at 7pm Eastern Time, with others following at 7:30pm, 8:30pm., 9:30pm., and finally at 10pm, when voting ends in British Columbia and Yukon.
Early indications will trickle in after 7pm and 7:30pm, once ballots from the four Atlantic provinces - comprising slightly less than 10% of all seats - are tallied.
However, the decisive wave of results is expected at 9:30pm, when the majority of polls close, including those in Ontario and Quebec, which together account for 58% of the 338 seats in play.
With Ontario offering 122 seats and Quebec 78, the electoral fate could become clear shortly after vote counts begin from these provinces.
The final outcome may be revealed within hours of the major reporting surge.
