Snap election

[bubbaray]

Well, looks like we too will be going to the polls this fall:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home

Kinda funny, though, that the election will happen before the US one, that feels like its been going on for years now....

All I can say is I sure hope that there is a majority government of one party or the other. I'm sick of minority gov'ts.

[Neatfreak]

Agreed. It's the fourth election, I'm sure, since my daughter was born (if the one I voted in whilst in labour counts). She's only four!

I'm kind of looking forward to telling my American friends that Canada is also electing a new gov't this fall, and it will be done in about six weeks!

[MontrealMum]

Ugh! Not again! Though I do agree that a majority would be nice this time. And by then I should be able to vote

[bubbaray]

I'm kind of looking forward to telling my American friends that Canada is also electing a new gov't this fall, and it will be done in about six weeks!

I can't imagine holding voter interest for 2 years. People out west here get bored with elections where their votes don't count even if the election is only 6w away....

[trinity991]

Again huh? Not surprising. I'm very glad that we're not like the U.S campaigning forever.

[Piglet]

Now I have to figure out how to vote from down here... I am getting well versed in the US election process. That'a all anyone talks about. I wonder what everyone discusses when it isn't election season. Oh wait, it is ALWAYS elections season, I think!

[bubbaray]

Here ya go:

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?...textonly=false

[psophia17]

Can someone explain to me in very simple terms how the heck these elections work? Because as a born and bred NYer, I just don't get it. DH and the ILs haven't managed to explain it to me, either...

[MontrealMum]

I'm with you Petra, DH has never explained things to my satisfaction. But he couldn't explain curling either, so maybe it's our communication skills The election-thing that's hard for me to get is that you vote for a representative (m.p.), and then they count all those up, and whichever party has the most votes, that leader is P.M. You don't actually vote for the P.M.!!! Very hard for an American to get used to. Along with that appointed Senate. But I am learning...because we have so many other great things up here But of course here in QC it's just all the more complicated if you're Anglo...if my citizenship comes through before this election, I don't have a clue what I'll do.

[psophia17]

Dh tried to explain it to me last night.

This is what I think it meant:
1. Each province has ridings
2. Each riding has an MP
3. When the MPs are elected, the group with the most MPs is the winner, and the leader of that party is PM.

What I didn't catch was what a minority/majority gov't was.

Also, what happens if the leader of the party doesn't win his or her riding? Who is PM then?

Come to think of it, who decides the leader of the party?

eta: he said not to worry about the senators, they don't really do anything but get paid to be there.