Along with the rest of Canada, Hamilton and Niagara residents go to the polls today

Desmond Brown · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

• Read each of CBC Hamilton's coverage of the national predetermination here.
• Later successful the day, travel local predetermination results here and national results here. 

Along with the remainder of Canada, Hamiltonians spell to the polls contiguous successful a national election, with U.S. economical and sovereignty threats and affordability among the main issues being considered, arsenic Canadians take a authorities to pb the state for the adjacent 4 years.

Mark Carney triggered the ballot successful March, weeks aft helium was elected to pb the Liberal Party pursuing Justin Trudeau's resignation.

An estimated 7.3 cardinal Canadians — a record — cast their ballots successful aboriginal voting over the Easter weekend, according to Elections Canada. That's a 25 per cent summation from 2021.

Nationally, the Conservative Party of Canada, led by Pierre Poilievre, and the Liberal Party are the starring contenders, according to CBC's canvass tracker. The NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, is trying to clasp onto authoritative enactment status.

How to vote

Polls volition beryllium unfastened 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET. People inactive waiting successful enactment astatine 9:30 p.m. volition inactive beryllium capable to vote. Elections Canada notes determination are 3 options for voting:

• Show your driver's licence oregon immoderate different paper issued by the Canadian authorities with your photo, sanction and existent address.
• Show 2 pieces of ID that person your sanction and astatine slightest 1 indispensable person your existent address. That could see a elector accusation paper and a slope connection oregon a inferior measure oregon pupil card. A afloat database of accepted ID is disposable connected the Elections Canada website. Expired ID tin beryllium utilized arsenic impervious of individuality if it has your sanction and arsenic a impervious of residence.
• If you don't person ID, you tin state your individuality and code successful penning and person idiosyncratic who knows you vouch for you astatine a polling station. The idiosyncratic vouching for you indispensable beryllium capable to beryllium their individuality and address. A idiosyncratic tin vouch for lone 1 idiosyncratic (except successful semipermanent attraction facilities).

Polling locations tin beryllium recovered by typing your postal codification into the Elections Canada website. People tin besides interaction section candidates for assistance to find their polling locations and immoderate candidates volition besides connection proscription assistance if necessary.

Get to cognize your riding 

Want to cognize much astir your riding, the candidates and the section issues that substance to them? CBC Hamilton has a illustration for each of the 12 ridings successful the Hamilton and Niagara area. Find retired much about:

• Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations.
• Burlington.
• Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North.
• Haldimand—Norfolk.
• Hamilton Centre.
• Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.
• Hamilton Mountain.
• Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas.
• Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake.
• Niagara South.
• Niagara West.
• St. Catharines.

The issues

Over the people of the campaign, CBC Hamilton heard from residents who said that successful summation to the U.S. tariffs, different issues would besides assistance signifier however they vote. These include:

• Cost of living.
• Housing.
• Public safety.
• Health care.
• Climate alteration and the environment.

"I cheque [food] prices perpetually — there's nary country for thing extra," Hamilton nonmigratory Joe Struthers told CBC News. 

"If my landlord decides to sell, I'd astir apt extremity up homeless. I couldn't spend thing other successful the city." 

Another resident, Jessica Fawcett, an occupational therapist and a parent of two, says her family's fiscal aboriginal feels uncertain — squeezed by the deficiency of affordable daycare and the imaginable of renewing her owe astatine a overmuch higher involvement complaint adjacent year.

Shri Kulkarni, a tech idiosyncratic and a begetter successful Burlington, thought buying a location would connection his household security. Instead, helium says they're feeling the fiscal strain much than ever.

"We bought during the peak," helium said. "Now owe rates are mode up, and location values are down. We're stuck — can't sell, can't save, and each period costs america more."

Leaders made several visits to Hamilton

In their costed platforms, the Liberals promised to make gross by boosting investment. The Conservatives said they would wage for important taxation cuts by slashing authorities spending and upping gross from home-building and argumentation changes, specified arsenic repealing Ottawa's Impact Assessment Act. The NDP said it would put billions successful wellness attraction and taxation the wealthy. 

The leaders of the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party (NDP) visited Hamilton during the archetypal week of the national predetermination campaign. McMaster University authorities Prof. Peter Graefe said those visits highlighted the value of the country to the parties. 

Graefe said the NDP leader "wants to clasp connected to the 1 spot that helium has successful the metropolis — Hamilton Centre," but besides helium sees a anticipation to grow his caucus successful Ottawa, with the Hamilton Mountain seat.

The riding was held by the NDP from 2006 until 2021, erstwhile past MP Scott Duvall said helium would not question reelection. Former writer Lisa Hepfner won for the Liberals.

For Poilievre, Graefe said helium mightiness privation to scope for the Hamilton East-Stoney Creek (HESC) seat, wherever the existent incumbent is Liberal Chad Collins.

Carney was besides successful Hamilton connected March 12 erstwhile helium visited steelmaker ArcelorMittal Dofasco. During the sojourn helium spoke with steelworkers astir the tariffs connected Canadian alloy and his assurance successful the aboriginal of the company.

The leaders of the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP each made consequent trips to Hamilton passim the five-week campaign, including Carney connected Sunday.

"In Hamilton, going retired to ballot is going to matter. I deliberation if these enactment leaders are coming here, it's due to the fact that they consciousness that these ridings tin spell antithetic ways," said Graefe.