Canadians are gearing up to cast their ballots today in the much-anticipated 2025 federal election, an event that has seen significant political shifts in just a few months. The election will determine whether the Liberals will secure a third consecutive term under Prime Minister Mark Carney or if the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, will return to power.

Canada spans six time zones, but despite this, most polling stations are set to close at 9:30 pm Eastern Time on April 28. An exception is British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province, where polls will close at 10 pm ET, half an hour later.

Polling officially begins at 7 am local time across the country, which corresponds to 7:30 pm IST. Given the pace of counting and time zone differences, Canadians can expect a clearer picture of the election outcome by the evening of April 28 itself.

When Will Results Be Announced?

Elections Canada has confirmed that it expects to count the vast majority of ballots on election night itself. The counting process is manual at each polling location. Once tallied, results are sent to the district's local Elections Canada office, which then uploads the information to the official Elections Canada website. Simultaneously, results are shared with major news outlets.

The first set of results is expected to be released by 10 am IST on April 29. However, in some close races, final outcomes might take a few more hours as mail-in and special ballots are also counted.

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Tight Race Between Liberals And Conservatives

Earlier in the election cycle, the Conservatives had a strong lead. According to polling firm Nanos Research, when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, Conservatives were polling at 47 per cent, while the Liberals were trailing at 20 per cent.

However, a dramatic shift occurred in the days leading up to the election. A three-day poll conducted up to April 26 revealed that the Liberal Party regained momentum, narrowing the gap significantly. Nationally, the Liberals gained 4 percentage points, and particularly in Ontario — Canada’s largest province, with 122 of 343 parliamentary seats — they closed the lead by 6 points. Canadians and international observers can track live updates via the official Elections Canada website.
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