Conservatives and Erin O'Toole didn't lose completely: Party wins popular vote for second election in a row
The Conservative Party won the most votes in the 2021 federal election, but weren't able to translate that support in the most number of seats with the Liberals scooping up a minority government.
Tory candidates across the country received 34.1 per cent of the total number of votes cast in the 2021 federal election as of 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, amounting to 35.8 per cent of the total number of seats (121 seats). The Liberals finished behind their rivals with 31.8 per cent of the total number of votes cast, but were able to take 46.2 per cent of the total seats (156 seats).
With mail-in ballots yet to be counted, those percentages may change.
Still, the results echo the 2019 election, when the Conservative Party under former leader Andrew Scheer won 34.3 per cent of the vote compared to the Liberals’ 33.1 per cent share. But, as in 2021, the Liberals came out on top with a minority government of 157 seats, or 46.4 per cent of total seats, while the Conservatives had 121 seats, or 35.8 per cent of the total seats.
This is also the 5th election in the last 6 that the Liberals have finished behind the Conservatives in the popular vote. Since 2006 they’ve averaged 30% of the vote, to the Tories’ 36%. So while the Tories clearly have work to do to expand their base, so do the Grits. pic.twitter.com/XifFZNwDdT
— Andrew Coyne (@acoyne) September 21, 2021
Canada's election today another minority Liberal Government. Popular vote, however, Conservatives win with 34%. Fascinating how 32% of the vote, gets 100% of the power. pic.twitter.com/QOawqx1QSn
— Gianni Kovacevic (@GianniKov) September 21, 2021
Ballots are still being counted, but as I write this, the Conservatives are winning the popular vote (34.1% to 31.7%) and the Liberals are winning the most seats (156 to 121). So it's basically the 2019 election all over again (popular vote 34.3% to 33.1%, seats 157 to 121).
— Peter T Chattaway (@ptchat) September 21, 2021
The @CPC_HQ should be happy with tonight's results - another popular vote win, a gain in seats while Trudeau spent 600 million to win a seat or two. All in a pandemic election that the LPC thought would result in a majority. #cdnpoli #elxn44vote
— Jared Dapena (@JaredDapena) September 21, 2021
The results raised questions for some about electoral reform, something that Liberal leader Justin Trudeau had promised to tackle in the 2015 election.
Hey everyone, how about we do that electoral reform thing for real this time? #Elxn44
— Willem Klumpenhouwer (@wklumpen) September 21, 2021
Hey @JustinTrudeau can we get electoral reform now?
— Kayla (she/her) (@cardamomkayla) September 21, 2021
I hate first-past-the-post. It’s so disenfranchising and we are so distorted as a province with our federal representation. I wish Justin Trudeau had done the electoral reform he had promised. Sigh. No politician ever follows through on that promise.
— TanTan87 (@TanTan872) September 21, 2021
Others reiterated that the popular vote does not matter in Canada's electoral system.
Do I need to remind everyone that the “popular vote” isn’t a thing in our system? That it’s a logical fallacy that is indicative of, essentially nothing?
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 21, 2021
