The value of a vote: how your vote defines government in Canada

Image Credit: Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press

The bad news first: sentiments regarding the lack of impact of one's individual vote are commonplace in today's political society. That's typically accompanied by low electoral turnout in by-elections and general elections, alongside a perceived lack of awareness about the fact that these processes are even taking place.

The good news: it doesn't have to be that way.

Simply put, your vote defines who governs, how they govern, and who represents your riding

There's an episode from Season 11 of the comedy show Curb Your Enthusiasm that features a Santa Monica mayoral election that ends up being decided by one vote. All because main character/show creator Larry David and an opposing voter decided to leave the line.

I'm not kidding.

Sitcom hijinks aside, the episode is correct. Your vote directly influences who and which party represents your riding. Each vote cast in an election counts towards the vote share of the riding in which the vote is cast; the party/candidate that secures the most votes wins the riding and a seat in government.

Though some people may look at polling data and decide that their vote might not prevent a landslide majority from happening, there are occasions where small numbers of votes can determine who wins an individual riding.

In the 2025 Ontario election, the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence - which was won by PC Party candidate Michelle Cooper - was decided by just 167 votes. The same riding was seen as a closer race in the 2025 federal election, being led by the Conservative and Liberal candidates at several points during election night.

It is also worth noting the example of Terrebonne, which the Liberals won over the Bloc Québécois by just one vote during that same federal election. The riding was ultimately sent to a by-election after overturned ballots and appeals eventually led to a Supreme Court ruling that annulled the result seen on election night.

At the broadest possible level, voting helps to determine which party gets the chance to form government in a given provincial or federal election. Each time a party wins a riding, they earn a seat in government. The party that wins the plurality or majority of seats in an election becomes the governing party.

Federally, a party must win 172 seats to secure a majority government, while the threshold for a similar government at the provincial level is dependent on the number of seats available. For example, in Quebec's Assemblée Nationale, majority status is achieved by a party if they win a minimum of 64 of the 127 seats up for grabs during a provincial election.

There are still ways your vote counts beyond the ballot box and the composition of the government

Beyond directly influencing who governs, your vote can influence how political parties operate and their ability to be competitive during an election season.

For one, political parties and candidates get reimbursed for their spending during a given campaign. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, parties and candidates are reimbursed in the following ways:

• If a party receives at least 2% of the national vote, they will receive 50% of the money spent on their campaign

• Parties will also receive 50% of their campaign spending if they earn 5% of the vote in the jurisdictions where candidates are registered

• If a candidate receives at least 10% of the vote, they will receive 15% of their riding's elections expenses limit

• If a candidate spends more than 30% of their riding's elections expenses limit, their reimbursement will be four times that of what they would receive with 10% of the vote

In Ontario, there is a similar process in place at the provincial level. Under the quarterly allowance program, the Chief Electoral Officer determines an eligible allowance that a political party is to receive based on one of the following conditions:

• If the party earns at least 2% of the votes recorded in the election in question

• If the party earns at least 5% of the number of votes recorded in the ridings where they registered candidates

The former rule also applies to electoral constituency associations where the corresponding party's candidate is registered. At the same time, all relevant documents must be completed and filed.

If a party earns official party status by winning 12 seats in the House of Commons (or a proportional number in a provincial/territorial legislature), they will earn additional funds via parliamentary budgets for caucus operations and staffing. In addition, official party status confers upon a political party guaranteed Question Period time among other speaking advantages, giving the party and its members extra opportunities to share their opinions and ideas with the public.

With the above in mind, how should one approach an election/by-election?

Simply put, get out and vote!

Even if an election seems to be decided already, or even if your riding seems to be a safe seat, your vote still influences many factors outside of the composition of the government. Be it how much money a party/candidate can receive for their efforts during a campaign, or even if a party is given the chance to share their ideas during a session, an individual vote could be the difference in these regards.

As long as you don't pull a Curb Your Enthusiasm, you're exercising your civic duties.