The Canadian government has proposed postponing their national election in 2025 by a week so it doesn't clash with Diwali. The elections are scheduled to take place in October 2025.
The proposal to shift the polling dates to October 27, 2025, from October 20, 2025, was part of a series of reforms mentioned in the Elections Act.
The Canadian government released proposed amendments to the Canada Elections Act to “encourage participation in the electoral process.”
The change of polling dates was mentioned under the section “ensuring an election is not held on a day of religious or cultural significance.”
The statement read, “Should a fixed date election be held in 2025, it would be held on Monday, October 20th. However, many communities in Canada will be celebrating Diwali at this time. Therefore, a one-time change to the date is proposed so that the potential election would not conflict with Diwali. Instead, the election would be held the following Monday.”
Additionally, the country has also proposed taking “steps towards the implementation of vote ‘anywhere' in the electoral district," in a bid to enhance the efficiency and avoid long queues. Detailing the same, the statement read, “To increase the efficiency of voting in person and avoid long lineups, the Chief Electoral Officer committed to enabling electors to vote at any desk in their assigned polling location at the next fixed date general election. Before then, the Chief Electoral Officer would table a report to Parliament on the measures needed to implement “vote at any desk” at a polling station as a first step.”
The statement also said: “The Chief Electoral Officer would also be required to table a second report to Parliament in 2027 on enabling electors to vote at any polling station in their electoral district by 2029. These are important steps towards fully implementing a vote-anywhere model in the future.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared his thoughts on quitting his "crazy job" every day but insisted he would stay in office until the next election.
In a conversation with Radio-Canada, PM Trudeau said in French, “I could not be the man I am and abandon the fight at this point.”
When asked about his thoughts on quitting his job, PM Trudeau said, “I think about quitting every day. It's a crazy job I'm doing, making the personal sacrifices ... of course, it's super tough, it's super not great at times. I entered politics not to be popular, not for personal reasons, (but) because I want to serve and I know I have something to offer.”
