In the days and weeks leading up to the federal election on April 28, Canadian voters have been considering how to cast their ballots.
This election will be unlike Canadian elections in past years, and there is an urgency among many eligible voters.
Because of recent events making international news headlines, the issues dominating this election have to do with the U.S. tariff war, Canadian sovereignty and the threat of a recession.
National unity, a key point in some past elections, is not at the forefront this time.
With some weighty issues at the forefront this year, it is reasonable to expect a different tone in this election and an electorate more interested in participating at the ballot box than in past years. When a lot is on the line, people tend to notice and take action.
Since the 1997 federal election, voter turnout has been lower than 70 per cent, dipping as low as 58.8 per cent in 2008. In the 1980s and earlier, it was common to see elections with more than three-quarters of eligible voters showing up to cast their ballots.
This year, the renewed interest in Canada鈥檚 federal government will add a new dimension to the upcoming federal election.
Some ridings typically held by one party could see changes or closer results than in the past.
Preliminary polls suggest the Conservatives and the Liberals both have greater support among voters than in the last federal election in 2021, while support for the New Democrats, Bloc Quebecois and People鈥檚 Party of Canada have seen decreases in their support levels.
However, polling results are not predictions. A good poll can present indications of what is likely to occur, but a lot can change in the days and hours leading up to the election itself.
The results that matter most will show after the polls have closed on April 28.
Those results will determine who will represent Canadians at the federal level in the coming years, and the overall outcome will determine how Canada will respond to some significant threats and challenges.
This election matters, and as a result, every vote matters too.
鈥� Black Press
