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Lesson 8 · Discover Canada p.60–74
Federal Elections
Voting is named in the Citizenship Regulations as an
examinable subject. Expect at least one question, probably two.
Who can vote
All three must be true. You must be:
- a Canadian citizen; and
- at least 18 years old on voting day; and
- on the voters' list
p.61
Elections Canada — a neutral agency of Parliament — produces
the voters' lists from the National Register of Electors. If you
do not get a voter information card, you can still be added to the
list at any time, including on election day.
Election timing and ridings
- Federal elections are held on the third Monday in October every four years
- The Prime Minister may ask the Governor General to call an earlier election
- An electoral district — also a riding or constituency — is a geographical area represented by one MP
- Candidates must be citizens aged 18 or older
- The candidate with the most votes wins — not necessarily a majority
A stale number. The guide says Canada has 308
electoral districts. That was true when it was written and it is the answer the
guide supports — but the real number has since changed. If a question quotes a
figure, go with the guide's 308.
The secret ballot
No one — not family, not your employer, not a union
representative — has the right to insist you say how you voted. You may choose to
tell people, but you are never obliged to. p.62
Voting, step by step
- Receive your voter information card — it says when and where to vote
- If you cannot vote on election day, use the advance polls or a special ballot
- Bring the card and proof of identity and address to the polling station
- Mark an X in the circle beside your chosen candidate
- Vote behind a screen, then fold the ballot and present it to the poll official
- The official tears off the ballot number and returns it to you to deposit
- When polls close, every ballot is counted and results are made public
After an election
| Who governs | Ordinarily the party with the most seats; the Governor General invites its leader to form the government, and that leader becomes Prime Minister |
| Majority government | The party in power holds at least half the seats |
| Minority government | The party in power holds less than half |
| Confidence | A vote on a major issue such as the budget. Lose it, and the PM usually asks the Governor General to call an election |
| Cabinet | The PM and the ministers of the Crown. They prepare the budget and propose most new laws |
| Official Opposition | The opposition party with the most seats — "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" |
The guide names three major parties in the House of Commons: the
Conservative Party, New Democratic Party and Liberal Party.
The three levels of government
Federal · Provincial or territorial · Municipal
Municipal councils pass by-laws. The council usually includes
a mayor (or reeve) and councillors or aldermen.
On First Nations reserves, band chiefs and councillors have
major responsibilities for housing, schools and other services.
Drill
Primary source: Discover Canada, pages 60–74. Pages
70–74 are the fill-in-the-blank pages about your own representatives — see
Lesson 13 for the Ontario answers.
Not sure what "confidence" actually means in practice? Ask — it connects this
chapter to responsible government in Lesson 3.