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The Canadian electoral system is based on a parliamentary system of government, modelled on that of the United Kingdom.
The Canadian federal Parliament consists of:
- The sovereign (represented by the Governor General)
- An upper house (the Senate), the members of which are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
- A lower house (the House of Commons), the members of which are chosen by the citizens of Canada through federal general elections.
Elections Canada is the non-partisan agency responsible for the conduct of elections in Canada, including federal elections, by-elections and referendums. It is headed by the Chief Electoral Officer.
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Representation in the House of Commons
Representation in the House of Commons is based on geographical divisions known as electoral districts, constituencies or ridings. Each riding elects one member to the House of Commons, and the number of ridings is established through a formula set out in the Constitution.
Riding boundaries are established by independent commissions, and take into account:
- population
- social links
- economic links.
New commissions are set up following each decennial census to make any necessary revisions to existing boundaries, following criteria defined in the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. The process of redefining electoral boundaries is called redistribution, and the results are recorded in a representation order. The Representation Order of 2003 set the number of ridings at 308.
First past the post
Canada’s electoral system is referred to as a first past the post system. The candidate with the most votes wins; an absolute majority is not needed. They receive a seat in the House of Commons and represent their riding as its Member of Parliament.
Elections occur every four years, except when the government of the day is defeated by a "no confidence" motion, which triggers an election at any time. Canada has broken with the tradition Westminster system and has fixed election dates.
Any number of candidates may run for election in an electoral district, but each candidate may only run in one district, either independently or under the banner of a political party. Each party may endorse only one candidate per riding. Candidates who run for election without party affiliation may be designated as independent or as having no affiliation.
A political party is a group of people who together:
- Establish a constitution and by-laws
- Elect a leader and other officers
- Endorse candidates for election to the House of Commons.
To obtain the right to put the party name on the ballot, under the names of the candidates it endorses, a political party must register with the Chief Electoral Officer. At the 2000 election, there were 11 registered political parties operating at the federal level in Canada. See List of political parties in Canada.
After an election, the party with the most elected representatives usually becomes the governing party. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister of Canada and chooses people (usually MPs of his or her party) to head the various government departments. The party with the second largest number of MPs is called the Official Opposition. All the elected candidates have a seat in the House of Commons, where they vote on draft legislation (called Bills) and thus have an influence on government policy.
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