After Justin Trudeau’s resignation, Liberal leader Mark Carney decided to call a snap election, nearly six months in advance of the fixed election date. The 45th federal election is coming up on April 28, and it’s just as important now as it ever has been (if not more) for everyone to make informed decisions and vote. Ranging from housing costs to student financial support and everything else in between, there’s no doubt that the country’s leadership at the highest level will directly impact Canadian’s daily lives in many ways. Moreover, given the recent unwarranted tariffs implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump, it’s vital that there is competent leadership in place to protect the future of all Canadians.

With 343 electoral districts (also known as ridings) in Canada, each one is entitled to a seat in the House of Commons, bringing together the elected MPs from all over Canada. The leader of the political party with the most seats then becomes the Prime Minister. 

Specific to the Waterloo region, the current electoral candidates are (subject to updates until April 9) Bardish Chagger for the Liberal party of Canada, Waseem Botros for the Conservative party, Héline Chow for the New Democratic Party, Simon Guthrie for the Green party, and Hans Roach as an independent. Find more information on your electoral district through the Voter Information Service page, which will eventually also have polling information.

Here is a quick guide on how easy it is; only three simple and quick steps.  

First step: register to vote. The process, done on Elections Canada, involves sharing your place of residence or home address, confirming your name, gender and age, and whether you’d like to vote by mail. 

Now the next step is interchangeable in order with the first step: research and prepare to vote. Look into political parties and candidates and find which one best aligns with your values and views of important issues. Understand who you will be voting to represent you and your needs as a citizen. You can use Vote Compass to help.

The third and final step? Vote! 

With UW being a participating campus for advance voting, SLC’s Multi-Purpose Room or the University Club is the perfect place and opportunity to vote early! You can vote on April 13 at 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. or April 14 at 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. WUSA has an easy guide to follow as well.

If you won’t be on campus, you can still vote in advance at your polling station from April 19-21 (9 a.m. – 9 p.m.). You can search for your polling station, but it will also be on your Voter Information card, which you’ll receive in the mail after you register to vote.

Don’t want to go anywhere? Good thing you can vote by mail by applying before April 22 at 6 p.m.

You can also stick with the classic way of voting, by going to your polling station on the day of April 28 (9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.). Remember to bring a valid form of ID, a list of which can be found here.

Sana Thind, who is in her third year of political science and math at UW, explains why she’ll be voting, stating, “Even federal elections have localized consequences – it’s not just voting for our country but for our communities too.” Margins for elections are more often razor-thin than it might seem, so each and every vote is truly critical.

So, whether you make it a fun outing with your friends and family, do it after an exam, do it by just sending some mail, or just making a quick trip out of the house, make sure to cast your vote for this pivotal federal election.