As Canadians head to the polls on Monday, prime minister Justin Trudeau will be watching nervously to see if his gamble to call an election will win his party more power in parliament – or leave him with even fewer seats and rivals sensing a growing political weakness.

But in a tightly contested election marred by a public health crisis and concerns over delays in ballot counting, it could take days to learn the winner.

Trudeau called the election in late August, hoping he could convert goodwill from a successful vaccine rollout into electoral gains. But after 36 days of campaigning during a pandemic, including a number of virtual events, no party is favourite to capture the 170 seats needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

At the same time, mail-in ballots will not be counted until polls close, meaning that in some electoral districts where the race is tight, it might take days to know the result.

Under Canada’s parliamentary system, Trudeau will be given the first chance to form a government if no party reaches 170 seats – even if his Liberal party comes second to the Conservatives. It will be up to opposition parties to work with him – or band together to defeat him in the coming months.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/20/justin-trudeaus-bid-for-third-term-in-balance-as-canada-goes-to-polls