Lesson 7

🗳️ Federal elections

Who can vote, how voting works, and how a government is formed.

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Ridings and candidates

Canada is divided into electoral districts, also called ridings or constituencies. The study guide lists 308; there are now more after later redistributions, but the test follows the guide. Voters in each riding elect one Member of Parliament, who represents everyone living there. Federal elections are held on the third Monday in October every four years, unless an election is called earlier. Any Canadian citizen aged 18 or older can run as a candidate.

Remember

Voting

To vote in a federal election you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, and on the voters' list, which is produced by Elections Canada, a neutral agency of Parliament. Before the election you receive a voter information card telling you when and where to vote; if you do not get one, call Elections Canada or visit its website. On election day you go to your polling station and mark an X next to your choice. Voting is by secret ballot: no one may watch you vote, and you never have to tell anyone how you voted.

Remember

After the vote

Ordinarily, the party with the most elected representatives is invited by the Governor General to form the government, and its leader becomes Prime Minister. If that party holds at least half of the seats in the House of Commons, it is a majority government; otherwise it is a minority government. The party with the second-most seats becomes the Official Opposition. Opposition parties oppose or try to improve government proposals.

Remember

Practice questions

How are members of parliament chosen?

  1. They are appointed by the United Nations.
  2. They are chosen by the provincial premiers.
  3. They are elected by voters in their local constituency (riding).
  4. They are elected by landowners and police chiefs.

Answer: They are elected by voters in their local constituency (riding). Canada is divided into electoral districts, also known as ridings or constituencies, and the citizens in each district elect one Member of Parliament (MP) who sits in the House of Commons.

A Member of Parliament from Montreal announces that she will spend her weekend in her electoral district. This means she would be:

  1. In her office on Parliament Hill.
  2. Visiting the province of Quebec.
  3. In the part of Montreal where she was elected.
  4. Going on a vacation.

Answer: In the part of Montreal where she was elected. An electoral district is a geographical area represented by a member of Parliament (MP). Thus, she would be visiting the specific part of Montreal where she was elected.

After a federal election, which party forms the new government?

  1. The party with the most elected representatives is invited by the Governor General to become the party in power.
  2. The King himself picks any party to run the government.
  3. The Governor General proposes a law for elected officials to become the governing body.
  4. The Premiers of each province pick a party to run the government.

Answer: The party with the most elected representatives is invited by the Governor General to become the party in power. The leader of the party with the most elected representatives becomes the Prime Minister and forms the government.

What does the "right to a secret ballot" mean?

  1. No one should tell you where to vote
  2. A secret vote used by politicians when they are voting on sensitive topics
  3. No one can watch you vote and no one should look at how you voted
  4. Your right to vote in secret on who to appoint to the Senate

Answer: No one can watch you vote and no one should look at how you voted. Canadian law secures the right to a secret ballot, meaning no one can watch you vote and no one should look at how you voted.

Who has the right to vote in federal elections?

  1. A Canadian citizen, 18 years or older, and on voters' list.
  2. A Canadian citizen, 18 years or older and must work for the federal government.
  3. A landed immigrant, 18 years old and a memberof the Canadian Forces.
  4. A Canadian citizen, over 25 years and a member of the Canadian Forces.

Answer: A Canadian citizen, 18 years or older, and on voters' list. You are eligible to vote in a federal election if you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, and on the voters' list.

How are Members of Parliament chosen?

  1. Appointed by the Prime Minister.
  2. Elected by Canadian citizens.
  3. Appointed by the King.
  4. Elected by the Provincial Ministers.

Answer: Elected by Canadian citizens. In Canada's parliamentary democracy, the people elect members to the House of Commons in Ottawa.

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