Canadians take to the polls as Trump renews US takeover push
Canadians have headed to polls in parliamentary elections as US President Donald Trump renews his controversial takeover bid.
Canada's elections span across six time zones with polls opening at 08:30 local time (12:00 GMT) on Monday in Newfoundland and Labrador, with the last polls closing in British Columbia at 19:00 PST (03:00 GMT on Tuesday).
Out of the country's 29 million eligible voters, a record 7.3 million, have already cast their ballots in advance to elect 343 members of parliament.
The leading candidate in the elections is from the ruling Liberal Party, incumbent Prime Minister Mark Carney, 60, who has already faced off with Trump over tariffs.
The forerunner, Conservative Party candidate Pierre Poilievre, 45, has been likened to the US president.
Both candidates have asked Trump to stay out of the elections. However, neither Carney nor Poilievre have presented a comprehensive plan to boost the country's ailing economy amid Trump's threatening trade war.
The smaller left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Jagmeet Singh, has been struggling to gain traction among Canadian voters by declaring its commitment to the working class.
Singh says his party also has a plan to safeguard Canada from Trump's trade war.
The separatist Bloc Quebecois (BQ) is also taking part in the elections. BQ promotes Quebecois nationalism and its sovereignty.
However, fears over Trump's trade war and takeover threats have prompted voters to neglect the smaller parties and elect the candidates from the bigger Liberal and Conservative parties.
Historically, Canada has only been led by governments made up from these two federal parties.
Meanwhile, Trump, who has turned into a central figure in Canada's elections, has steered clear of commenting on voting results.
However, final polls put Carney slightly ahead of Poilievre. Carney was about to lose the election to Poilievre when Trump's renewed attacks on Canada sparked a sudden reversal in poll forecasts.
On January 6, the day former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced he would resign, the Conservatives led the Liberals by more than 20 points in most polls.
But Carney, a respected banker, by replacing Trudeau combined with nationwide unease about Trump's threats stirred the race in favor of the Liberals.
Now, if the Liberals, who currently hold 152 seats, win majority of the vote by taking more than 172 seats as expected, it would mark one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Canadian political history.
In any case, polling experts say, the 2025 elections is of utmost importance for the region because it could impact the future by redefining Ottawa's relationship with Washington.
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