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Vote Canada 2025

Federal Election

A smartphone showing Meta's block on Canadian news content is shown in a photo illustration in Toronto on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

Influencers — not news outlets or politicians — ‘dominated’ election online: report

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025

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OTTAWA - Influencers had the "loudest voices" online in this spring’s federal election, overtaking news outlets and politicians, says a new report.

The report from the Canadian Digital Media Research Network, co-ordinated by the McGill University and University of Toronto-led Media Ecosystem Observatory, looked at the election information environment.

Influencers were the most active in terms of frequency and volume of online posts and received the most engagement, said Aengus Bridgman, director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory.

"This is new to this election … materially different," he told The Canadian Press.

MPs question Longest Ballot Committee organizer during probe of spring election

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

MPs question Longest Ballot Committee organizer during probe of spring election

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

OTTAWA - An organizer behind a protest group that signed up hundreds of candidates in recent elections told members of Parliament on Tuesday that his invitation to appear before a House committee is proof of the group's success.

Tomas Szuchewycz was a witness for the Longest Ballot Committee at a meeting of the procedure and government affairs committee, which is studying the way the longest ballot protest affected recent byelections and the April federal election.

Szuchewycz was listed as the official agent for nearly all of the 200 people who signed up to run against Pierre Poilievre in the summer byelection that returned the Conservative leader to the House of Commons.

Elections Canada had to create a modified write-in ballot for that vote in Battle River—Crowfoot.

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Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

An example of a ballot for the riding of Carleton, showing the names of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal Party of Canada candidate Bruce Fanjoy, is seen at the Elections Canada Distribution Centre on the day of the federal election in Ottawa on April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
An example of a ballot for the riding of Carleton, showing the names of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal Party of Canada candidate Bruce Fanjoy, is seen at the Elections Canada Distribution Centre on the day of the federal election in Ottawa on April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Corrective to Oct. 2 story about challenge to election results in Terrebonne riding

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

A Canadian Press story published on Oct. 2 about a legal challenge to federal election results in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne erroneously reported that special ballots have been available since 2021. Elections Canada says that special ballots have been available since 1970.

Terrebonne one-vote win: postal code error on envelope unreported for three weeks

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Terrebonne one-vote win: postal code error on envelope unreported for three weeks

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

MONTREAL - An election employee noted a discrepancy in the postal codes of special ballot return envelopes in Terrebonne nearly three weeks before the election, but the error wasn't reported to superiors.

The mistake is outlined in legal documents filed as part of a court action brought by a former Bloc Québécois member who lost in the April federal election by a single vote to her Liberal counterpart.

Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné filed a challenge to the federal election result in the riding of Terrebonne, in Montreal’s north suburbs, in Superior Court. 

The incumbent lost by a single vote determined through judicial recount to current Liberal MP Tatiana Auguste after a see-saw battle.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagne speaks in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagne speaks in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Elections Canada to launch review following issues with special ballots

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Elections Canada to launch review following issues with special ballots

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Sep. 15, 2025

OTTAWA - Elections Canada is launching a probe into problems with special ballots in the last federal election.

"We really have to look at the controls in place to make sure that they are sufficient" and make improvements where possible, chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault told reporters at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Monday.

Plans for the review were outlined Monday in the agency's report on the 45th general election held on April 28. The report promises a "comprehensive review" that will examine training, control mechanisms and processes.

It cites three cases where hundreds of special ballots were handled improperly and left out of the official count. It also points to one riding where the outcome was decided by a single vote and where some special ballots had incorrect postal codes.

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Monday, Sep. 15, 2025

Voters arrive at a polling station on election day in Halifax on Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
Voters arrive at a polling station on election day in Halifax on Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

No evidence federal election was affected by foreign interference, commissioner says

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

No evidence federal election was affected by foreign interference, commissioner says

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 25, 2025

OTTAWA - Canada's elections commissioner said Wednesday she has no evidence to suggest the federal election result in April was affected by foreign interference, disinformation or voter intimidation — even though the volume of complaints about the campaign shot way up.

In a preliminary report, Commissioner Caroline Simard said her office received more than 16,000 complaints about the spring campaign that ended on April 28 — seven times the number of complaints received in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

And while Simard's office said some of those numbers are due to "amplification" — multiple complaints about the same issue — the number of complaints about foreign interference, artificial intelligence, disinformation and voter intimidation was lower than her office had expected.

"So far, based on our initial observations and the information we have, there is no evidence to suggest that the election outcome was affected in any way," Simard said in a news release.

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Wednesday, Jun. 25, 2025

Commissioner of Canada Elections Caroline Simard is pictured on Parliament Hill Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Commissioner of Canada Elections Caroline Simard is pictured on Parliament Hill Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Bloc Québécois files legal challenge of Terrebonne riding results after one-vote loss

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Bloc Québécois files legal challenge of Terrebonne riding results after one-vote loss

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, May. 23, 2025

TERREBONNE - The Bloc Québécois says it has filed a Superior Court challenge to overturn the election results in the federal riding of Terrebonne after losing by one vote.

In a news release, the party says there is doubt about who won the riding in the April 28 federal election because a mail-in vote from a Bloc supporter was returned to the sender.

Elections Canada has admitted that a misprint on an envelope used to mail a special ballot from Terrebonne led to one Bloc voter's ballot being returned to her.

Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste initially won the riding, but it flipped to Bloc candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné after the votes went through a validation process.

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Friday, May. 23, 2025

Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné speaks in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné speaks in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Conservatives hold onto Windsor riding by four votes after recount

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Conservatives hold onto Windsor riding by four votes after recount

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Friday, May. 23, 2025

OTTAWA - Conservative Kathy Borrelli has won the Ontario riding of Windsor—Tecumseh—Lake Shore after a judicial recount confirmed her victory today by just four votes.

The Liberals called for a judicial recount, after the initial validated results following the election on April 28 saw incumbent Liberal Irek Kusmierczyk lose by 77 votes.

The recount began on Tuesday and the final results were announced this morning.

This result does not change the House of Commons seat count, but later on Friday the Liberals lost a Newfoundland and Labrador recount that reduced their seat count to 169.

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Friday, May. 23, 2025

An Elections Canada sign points the way to a polling station on federal election day in Chambly, Que., Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
An Elections Canada sign points the way to a polling station on federal election day in Chambly, Que., Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Election Spotlight

Free Press staff:

By the numbers: Federal election riding results in Manitoba

Malak Abas and Alex Lambert:

Kildonan-St. Paul a surprise swing riding

Alex Lambert / Free Press Kildonan-St. Paul Liberal candidate Thomas Naaykens (left) hands a campaign leaflet to voters Al Dennis (middle) and Wayne Dennis in the River East neighbourhood Wednesday.

The Canadian Press:

Promise tracker: What the parties are pitching in the federal election campaign

Left to right: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang, Adrian Wyld

Kevin Rollason:

Lesser-known parties, independent candidates put stamp on election campaign

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press ELECTION - riding profile PHOTO of Debra Wall - Animal Protection Party of Canada candidate for Winnipeg Centre Kevin Rollason story April 15th 2025

Nicole Buffie:

In Winnipeg South Centre, rookies challenge incumbent who has politics in his blood

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Royden Brousseau

Malak Abas:

In Winnipeg South, redistribution could benefit Conservatives despite Duguid’s deep roots

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Bev and Larry Gompf chat with Terry Duguid in his riding of Winnipeg South as he does some door-knocking, Wednesday afternoon. Reporter: Malak Abas 250409 - Wednesday, April 09, 2025.

Recount confirms narrow Liberal victory in Milton East—Halton Hills South

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Recount confirms narrow Liberal victory in Milton East—Halton Hills South

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, May. 16, 2025

OTTAWA - A judicial recount in the southern Ontario riding of Milton East—Halton Hills South confirmed Friday that Liberal Kristina Tesser Derksen won the seat.

Tesser Derksen said that she received word that her victory had been confirmed about five minutes before midnight on May 15.

It ended what she described as a "17-day election night."

"It was a hard earned success and one that's been a long time coming, because election night was back on April 28," she said. "You take a breath and then, all right, now there's work to do. There's a gravity that comes with that news, there's expectations and we're facing some challenging times."

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Friday, May. 16, 2025

A voting information officer holds stickers to be given to voters after casting their ballots outside a polling location in Ottawa on Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
A voting information officer holds stickers to be given to voters after casting their ballots outside a polling location in Ottawa on Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Nunavut election result not validated as ballot box held up in cargo by blizzard

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Thursday, May. 15, 2025

OTTAWA - The federal election result in Nunavut still has not been validated by Elections Canada, because one final ballot box has been delayed by a blizzard.

NDP incumbent Lori Idlout won the unofficial result by 77 votes over Liberal candidate Kilikvak Kabloona.

Elections Canada has a validation process to confirm the unofficial count completed on election night, but the final box from the community of Naujaat has not made it to Iqaluit to be tallied.

Returning officer Jean-Claude Nguyen confirmed to The Canadian Press the box is stuck at the airline cargo facility in Rankin Inlet.

Bloc Québécois to challenge Terrebonne election result in court

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Bloc Québécois to challenge Terrebonne election result in court

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, May. 15, 2025

OTTAWA - Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Thursday the party plans to launch a legal challenge after losing the federal riding of Terrebonne by a single vote.

Blanchet said the party wants a court order to run the vote again because a mail-in vote from a Bloc supporter was returned to sender, which would have brought his party into a tie with the Liberals.

Elections Canada admitted this week that a misprint on an envelope used to mail a special ballot from Terrebonne led to one Bloc voter's mail-in ballot being returned to her. The misprint contained an error in the last three digits of the postal code for where the ballot should have been sent.

Despite the error, Elections Canada said Wednesday the result of the judicial recount in the riding was final. However, Blanchet said the party will contest the result in Quebec's Superior Court.

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Thursday, May. 15, 2025

Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet speaks with reporters in the Foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet speaks with reporters in the Foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

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