Canada
Description of Electoral System
(Courtesy of IFES election guide)
The monarchy is hereditary. In the Senate (Senat) 105 members are approved by the governor-general. No terms are set and senators can serve in office until the age of 75. In House of Commons (Chambre des Communes) 308 members are elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term. According to the 2003 Representation Order, there are currently 308 electoral districts, and according to the Constitution one seat is allocated per electoral district. The duration of the House of Commons cannot exceed five years, except under special circumstances, including real or apprehended war, invasion or insurrection.
Electoral Systems Snapshot
(Courtesy of International IDEA)
*Click on link for definition
| Electoral System for National Legislature | FPTP |
| Type | Plurality/Majority |
| Tiers | 1 |
| Legislature Size (Directly elected, voting members) | 308, 308 |
| Electoral System for President | - |
WANT MORE ELECTION-RELATED STATS FOR CANADA? Go to "election databases" on the left-hand menu of this page OR comparative data on the right-hand menu and choose your area of interest.
Voting in Canada
(courtesy of wikipedia)
Every person who is Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older is allowed to vote except for the Chief Electoral Officer and the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer. In the Canada Elections Act, inmates serving a sentence of at least two years are also prohibited from voting, but on October 31, 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Sauvé v. Canada that such a law violated the section 3 of the Charter, and was rendered of no force or effect.
Election turn-out has been steadily falling for many decades, although turnout rose by four percent in the last election. Currently, about sixty percent of registered voters vote in federal elections, but this amounts to less than 50% of the eligible, adult population.
Most Recent Election
(courtesy of wikipedia)
The 2008 Canadian federal election (more formally, the 40th Canadian General Election) was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General (Canada's de facto head of state) on September 7, 2008. The election yielded a minority government under the Conservative Party of Canada, led by the incumbent Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.
The election call resulted in the cancellation of four federal by-elections that had been scheduled to occur in September.
