Mark Carney vs Pierre Poilievre: Canada Votes for Next Prime Minister Today

Canadians are set to elect a new government on Monday, as the Liberals led by Mark Carney try to extend their hold on power against Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives. Candidates made their final effort to woo voters on Sunday, but a deadly car-ramming attack in Vancouver rocked the final hours of the campaign.

Prime Minister Carney briefly halted his final day's campaign schedule to address the nation after a driver crushed a crowd at a Filipino street festival, killing 11 and injuring dozens. Police have detained a 30-year-old man after the attack.

Meanwhile, Poilievre, who was present with his wife at a church in Mississauga, west of Toronto, condemned the attack as a "senseless act of violence." Poilievre said, "Today our hearts are with you. All Canadians are united with the Filipino community."

What do the polls say?

Poll surveys show Canadians believe Carney — a two-time central banker and former college hockey goalie who took over this year after Justin Trudeau resigned — is the strongest candidate ahead of Monday's election. Meanwhile, Poilievre, 45, who has been in Parliament for two decades, has worked to keep the focus on the rising cost of living during Trudeau's decade in power, arguing Carney would continue what he calls a failed Liberal regime.

However, pollsters say Carney's Liberals have maintained a slight edge in popular support ahead of the final vote, thanks to his tough stance against the U.S. after Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and repeatedly referred to a once-close ally as the 51st U.S. state. The U.S. president's comments enraged Canadians and reversed Poilievre's nearly 20-point lead the Liberals have had over Trump.

British Columbia's 43 electoral districts are among the country's closest battlegrounds. A Nanos poll on Sunday said the gap between the two leading parties was about 4 percentage points, up slightly from Saturday. The poll found the Liberal Party at 43 per cent support nationally, while the Conservative Party had 38.9 per cent support.

When will the results come out?

Advance voting took place across Canada from April 18 to April 21, giving voters a chance to cast their ballots before general election day. Nearly 2 million Canadians voted on the first day of advance voting, setting a new record for turnout in a single day. On the final voting day on Monday, polling stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time, allowing eligible voters to cast their votes.

Given Canada's six time zones, results will start coming in shortly after voting ends in the Atlantic provinces. Final results will be reported when polling stations close in the Pacific time zone.

This result would likely translate into a Liberal victory in national voting, as opinion polls show the party's support is more concentrated than the Conservatives' in urban areas, where there are more electoral districts or seats. It's unclear whether this would give the Liberals a majority of seats to govern without help from a smaller party.

When polls close on Monday, the Conservatives will be closely watching the performance of smaller parties like the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) and the separatist Bloc Québécois.

In past Canadian elections, the NDP's strong showing in Ontario and British Columbia and the Bloc's good showing in Quebec have dented the Liberals' seat count, but polls suggest both smaller parties could suffer a blow.