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2025 Federal Election: Vote for Canada
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What you need to know about the federal election
Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a federal election, which will take place from now until final voting day on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Have your say in deciding the next government of Canada! Follow the Elections Canada Voters Checklist, beginning with registering to vote and planning where and when you’ll vote.
With prices high, American tariffs, and the continued strain on our health care and community services, there’s a lot at stake in this election.
Canada’s unions have a vision for the future where every worker has an affordable home, food on the table, and access to the services they need. This vision is laid out in the CLC Workers Together campaign. You can read the campaign platform here for more on making life more affordable and protecting the services we rely on. Ready to get involved? Text ‘WORKERS’ to 55255 to join the campaign.
More Information on Elections and Voting
The House of Commons has 343 seats, held by members elected by citizens who vote in general elections or by-elections. Representation in the House of Commons is based on geographical divisions called electoral districts, also known as ridings.
The candidate who receives the most votes in their riding becomes the member of Parliament (MP) and represents the riding in the House of Commons. The political party that has the most MPs usually forms the government. The leader of that party normally becomes the Prime Minister.
Canada is a democracy with three levels of government that are elected by Canadian citizens. Each level of government – federal, provincial and municipal – has its own specific roles and responsibilities.
The Canadian (also known as federal) government governs for the entire country. It is responsible for areas of national interest such as immigration, defence and trade with other countries. It also distributes money to the provinces to pay for health care, social services, and equalization. Learn more about these federal transfers here.
To vote in a federal election, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen
- be at least 18 years old on election day
- prove your identity and address
Remember, you don't need to register in advance to vote! As long as you are eligible and prove your identity you can register at the same time as you vote.
Vote on election day
Vote at your assigned polling station on election day, Monday, April 28. Polls will be open for 12 hours (hours vary by time zone).
To find your polling station, check your voter information card or use our Voter Information Service.
Vote early at any Elections Canada office
Voting at Elections Canada offices closed on April 22.
Vote by mail
Applications to vote by mail closed April 22.
Vote on advance polling days
Advance polling was available April 18-21.
Yes.
By law, everyone who is eligible to vote must have three consecutive hours to cast their vote on election day. If your hours of work do not allow for three consecutive hours to vote, your employer must give you time off.
For example, if you live in a riding where voting hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and you usually work from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., your hours of work will not allow for three consecutive hours for voting. To give you three consecutive hours to vote, your employer could allow you to arrive late (for example, at 12:30 p.m.), let you leave early (for example, at 6:30 p.m.), or give you three hours off at some point during the work day.
Your employer has the right to decide when the time off will be given.
Check the Record
Canada’s Act Respecting Pharmacare is a first step towards a full universal single-payer drug program.
Check who voted for - and against - free diabetes medication and contraception.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is helping make the cost of dental care more affordable for low-to-middle income Canadian residents without dental coverage through their insurance.
Over one and a half million people have now received care through this program.
Check who voted for - and against - providing dental care to those without coverage.
Canada's Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada sets out the Government of Canada’s vision for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. It also sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintaining long-term funding relating to early learning and child care to be provided to the provinces and Indigenous peoples. Finally, it creates the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care.
Canada's Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy establishes an accountability, transparency and engagement framework to facilitate and promote economic growth, the creation of sustainable jobs and support for workers and communities in Canada in the shift to a net-zero economy.
More Information about the Issues
CLC Workers Together Campaign
A good job, an affordable place to call home, food in the fridge, and access to health care, education, and other vital public services are the cornerstones of a thriving society. As the voice of more than 3 million workers across Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress fights tirelessly to secure these essential building blocks for all working people.
But today, these foundations are crumbling. Workers are angry about the unfairness they see around them and worried about what tomorrow holds – whether their jobs are secure, if they can afford necessities and get the care they need, and what future awaits them in the face of accelerating climate change.
The stakes keep rising. The U.S. administration’s aggressive trade stance puts Canadian jobs at risk and threatens to drive the price of essential goods even higher. Like corporate price gouging at home, these trade threats hurt working families who can least afford the hit.
For too long, governments have prioritized corporate interests over working families. This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about parents skipping meals so their children can eat, seniors choosing between medication and paying bills, and young people giving up on the dream of owning a home. While the wealthiest grow their fortunes through corporate profiteering and tax avoidance, too many Canadians struggle to make ends meet.
It’s unacceptable. Canada’s unions demand a government that will support workers, their families, and communities. We’re calling for bold, decisive action to:
- Mitigate the trade tariff threat with a worker-first response to secure jobs, support workers, and strengthen communities
- Cap prices on food staples and essential goods to stop corporate price gouging and protect family budgets
- Ensure everyone has access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner and deliver fully universal public Pharmacare to ensure health care is accessible to all
- Build one million truly affordable homes to bring down the cost of housing and tackle the housing crisis
- Fix our broken tax system by restructuring corporate taxes to fund affordable housing, hospitals, and the public services Canadians count on.
When working people thrive, our whole economy grows stronger. But this only happens when we have policies that support their hard work and remove obstacles to their success.
Make no mistake: without a clear, bold vision for dramatic change, Canada risks drifting further into anger, resentment, and despair.
Canada’s unions are ready to get to work. Our political leaders must work with us, act decisively, and provide unwavering support to working people. The time for bold action isn’t just now. It’s overdue.
-Bea Bruske President, Canadian Labour Congress
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Canadian Health Coalition Campaign: Vote Health Care
Canada’s public health care system is our most cherished achievement, but Medicare is under threat.
Greedy privatization schemes are circling like vultures, eager to feast on our most vulnerable. They’re pushing to turn health care into a commodity to be bought and sold, where your worth is measured by your wallet and health becomes a privilege, not a right.
That’s not the Canada we believe in, but it’s the grim reality of an American-style health care system. And if we don’t act now, it could become Canada’s fate.
This federal election is about more than party standings. It’s about the future of public Medicare.
Once privatization takes hold, it will be harder and harder to reverse. We can’t allow our system to slide toward the American-style model, where private insurance determines your access to quality health care.
You have the power to protect what matters. This election, public and universal health care must be non-negotiable.
We cannot afford to sit this one out. Together, we can defend the health care we’re proud of and expand it to meet the needs of today and the future.
American tariffs hurt Canadian workers. Find out more from the Canadian Labour Congress and what actions you can take to support workers.