OTTAWA – Canadians will head to the polls on April 28 after Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Governor General Mary Simon to ask that she dissolve the 44th Parliament, ending the longest-running minority government in Canadian history.

Carney visited Simon on Sunday, a day before Parliament was set to resume following former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to prorogue it in January. The election date is the earliest allowed under the Elections Act, exceeding the 36-day minimum campaign period by one day.

At the time of dissolution, the Liberals held 153 seats, the Conservatives 120, the Bloc Québécois 33, the NDP 24, the Green Party 2, with three independents.

Carney was elected Liberal leader on March 9 and sworn in as prime minister five days later. On Sat., March 22, the party confirmed he will run for a seat in Nepean, a Liberal stronghold held by Chandra Arya for the past decade. Arya, whose leadership bid was rejected two months ago, was informed last week that his nomination to seek re-election had been revoked.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is running in the neighbouring Carleton riding.

“I’ve just requested that the Governor General dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28. She has agreed,” said Carney in making the announcement.

“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty, our response must be to build a strong economy and a more secure Canada. President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us. We will not let that happen. We’re over the shock of the betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons. We have to look out for ourselves. We have to look out for each other.”

Elections Canada offices will open soon in each of the 343 federal electoral districts (ridings). Electors can visit an office to register and vote early by special ballot or to get information about voting or becoming a candidate.

Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old on election day are eligible to vote if they are registered. Most Canadians who are eligible to vote are already registered in the National Register of Electors. To check if they are registered or to register to vote, electors should use the Online Voter Registration Service at elections.ca, call them at 1-800-463-6868 or contact their local Elections Canada office. You can also register in person at your assigned polling place when you go to vote.

If you are not registered, you can show proof of their identity and address. The list of acceptable forms of identification are available online.

There are several ways to vote. Electors can:

  • Vote on election day (Mon., April 28) at their assigned polling station
  • Vote on advance polling days (Fri., April 18; Saturday, April 19; Sunday, April 20; and Mon., April 21) at their assigned polling station
  • Vote early at any Elections Canada office across the country (until Tuesday, April 22, 6 p.m.)
  • Vote by mail: Electors must apply by Tuesday, April 22, 6 p.m. and return their special ballot by mail (deadlines apply) or in person at their local Elections Canada office before polls close on election day.

Electors planning to return their special ballot by mail should plan ahead and make sure there is enough time to receive a voting kit and return their completed ballot to Elections Canada by the deadline indicated in their kit.

There are also other ways for electors to vote, such as at a Vote on Campus office or at their long-term care facility. A full list of voting options is available at elections.ca.

One note for electors living in eastern Ontario regarding riding boundary changes. The riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell is now Prescott-Russell-Cumberland, while Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry will now simply be Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry.