Canadians Go Out To Vote Amid Tensions From Trump's Tariff Threats

Today, Canadians are headed to the polls, in an election shaped by existent threats of tariffs and comments about annexing all of Canada from U.S. president Donald Trump.

During the course of the campaign, buoyed by a surge in Canadian nationalism, Liberal prime minister Mark Carney, a former central banker, seemed to pick up some support by representing himself as a stabilizing force against the economic pressures from Trump.

Most recent polling indicates a close contest. CTV-Globe and Mail-Nanos put Carney's Liberals at a 2.7-point lead (42.6%-39.9%) against Poielliviere's Conservatives, and EKOS estimated a six-point lead for the Liberals, as well as a probable majority in the 343-seat House.

Carney, heading the Liberals, focused on economic stewardship, using his institutional experience as the governor of Bank of England and Bank of Canada to speak to concerns about the trade wars that Trump recently initiated.

Poilievre, the leader of the Conservatives, focused more on domestic issues, like the high cost of housing, crime, and a lack of sustained growth.

While Carney told older voters on the ground in Markham with slogans like "Never 51," Poilievre captured much younger crowds with his pledge for "change" to improve affordability.

Political analysts indicate that smaller parties like the NDP and Bloc Québécois fell behind, because rising tensions with the U.S. pushed people back to the Liberals. Conservative support is still high, but exists primarily in rural Canada, which lacks seats compared to urbanized areas, making it difficult to be competitive.