In a federal election, who do Canadians directly vote for?
- A member of Parliament (MP) to represent their electoral district
- Senators
- The Governor General
- The Prime Minister
Answer: A member of Parliament (MP) to represent their electoral district
Canadians vote for the people they want to represent them in the House of Commons. In each electoral district, voters choose a candidate and political party, and the candidate with the most votes becomes the MP for that district. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Learn more: Electoral districts, candidates and MPs
- An electoral district is a geographic area represented by one Member of Parliament. It is also called a riding or a constituency.
- Canada is divided into 343 electoral districts (since the 2025 general election; Discover Canada gives 308).
- The citizens in each electoral district elect one MP, who represents them and all Canadians in the House of Commons.
- Canadian citizens aged 18 or older may run in a federal election.
- People who run for office are called candidates. There can be many candidates in one electoral district.
- Voters in each district vote for the candidate and political party of their choice.
- The candidate who receives the most votes becomes the MP for that district.