Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada referred to as a snap election final month — two years forward of schedule — he has struggled to elucidate why he thinks it’s essential.

The final normal election, in 2019, left his Liberal Occasion in a weakened place, capable of govern solely with the help of opposition lawmakers in Parliament. This time, Mr. Trudeau says, he wants a robust mandate to deliver the pandemic underneath management and lead Canada to financial restoration.

However his rivals have referred to as the election an influence seize — and an pointless one, since Mr. Trudeau has largely been capable of enact his legislative agenda.

Additionally they mentioned it was reckless to carry an election at a time when coronavirus instances are rising and restrictions are being reimposed.

Nonetheless, Mr. Trudeau hoped that the 36-day marketing campaign — the shortest election interval allowed by regulation — paid off with the bulk that eluded his social gathering final time. The Liberals headed into Election Day in a statistical tie with their most important opponent, the Conservative Occasion, led by Erin O’Toole. Election returns late on Monday confirmed that whereas he would stay prime minister, it can once more be as the top of a minority authorities.

Why an election now?

Through the quick marketing campaign, Mr. Trudeau has argued that solely a majority Liberal authorities can beat the coronavirus and set a path to restoration. However the different events have supported his pandemic response all alongside, together with his plans for vaccine procurement and supply, and his widespread financial assist applications.

The general public accepted, too. The Liberals’ standing rose within the polls, and Mr. Trudeau’s private approval rankings soared. Most political analysts say he referred to as the election to benefit from that reputation, moderately than threat an election two years from now, when recollections might have light.

If that was the thought, it appears to have backfired. Since he referred to as the election, Mr. Trudeau’s ballot numbers, and people of his social gathering, have fallen.

On the marketing campaign path, his rivals have attacked his character (as they’ve all through his political profession), pointing to a sequence of moral missteps and accusing him of placing his pursuits above the nation’s.

Nonetheless, Mr. Trudeau — a Canadian movie star since his beginning in 1971, when his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was prime minister — drew giant crowds to his rallies, with folks desirous to pose for selfies with him.

How did Covid-19 have an effect on the election?

Canada has one of many world’s highest vaccination charges, however in some areas, the Delta variant has pushed case numbers up and hospitals are near capability. The western province of Alberta, which had lifted its restrictions, reimposed most of them through the marketing campaign. Public well being leaders are actually warning of a fourth wave.

Mr. Trudeau helps vaccine mandates for journey and for federal employees, in addition to vaccine passports. Mr. O’Toole opposes them.

What different points have surfaced?

Local weather change: Since Mr. Trudeau first took workplace in 2015, he has made local weather change a high precedence, introducing, amongst different measures, a nationwide carbon tax.

The Conservatives, who opposed such taxes for years, got here to this marketing campaign with their first carbon tax plan. Many analysts have referred to as it insufficient, however its existence made it unimaginable for Mr. Trudeau to color the social gathering as solely unwilling to take motion on international warming.

Gun management: In the beginning of the marketing campaign, Mr. O’Toole promised to repeal a ban on 1,500 completely different fashions of military-style assault rifles. However he appeared to desert that plan shortly; polling in Canada persistently reveals robust help for tight gun restrictions.

The economic system: Canada has recovered almost all the roles misplaced by the pandemic. Mr. Trudeau’s pandemic spending on vaccines and financial help, although, has left giant money owed and deficits. After criticizing these deficits, Mr. O’Toole unveiled related spending plans. He additionally promised to stability the finances inside 10 years, a timeframe that almost all economists say is just too distant to be credible.

The election itself: In some methods, Mr. Trudeau’s choice to carry an election throughout a pandemic has crowded out different questions going through the nation. Through the candidates’ latest French-language debate, the topic got here up 13 instances.

How about overseas coverage?

Even earlier than this marketing campaign, the Conservatives had persistently pounded Mr. Trudeau over China, arguing that he had been ineffective in coping with Beijing.

China’s incarceration of two Canadian businessmen — Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor — has been a supply of stress for nearly three years. It has been seen as retaliation for Canada’s detention, at the US’ request, of Meng Wanzhou, a senior govt on the Chinese language tech large Huawei.

After Mr. O’Toole mentioned in a debate that Mr. Trudeau was not powerful sufficient with China, the prime minister retorted, “If you wish to get the Michaels residence, you don’t merely lob tomatoes throughout the Pacific.”

Afghanistan has additionally been a difficulty. Mr. Trudeau referred to as the snap election the identical weekend that Kabul fell to the Taliban. His opponents mentioned the timing interfered with Canada’s mission to rescue Afghan refugees and criticized the federal government for not appearing earlier to assist them.

Mr. Trudeau’s relationship with former President Donald J. Trump was famously antagonistic. Mr. Trump referred to as him “very dishonest and weak,” and imposed commerce sanctions on Canada, arguing that its metal and aluminum exports had been a menace to American nationwide safety. Relations between Canada and the US have calmed since President Biden got here to workplace, and the difficulty was hardly ever raised through the marketing campaign.

Mr. O’Toole has criticized the prime minister for Canada’s absence from a brand new safety alliance between Canada, Britain and the US that was a part of a deal to promote nuclear submarines to Australia. Mr. Trudeau has mentioned that Canada just isn’t out there for nuclear submarines, and that the association doesn’t detract from current alliances.

Have Indigenous points been at play?

Within the months main as much as the election, Canadians had been shocked by the invention of a whole bunch of unmarked graves at former residential colleges for Indigenous kids. The discoveries renewed a nationwide dialogue about reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous communities, which has been one other of Mr. Trudeau’s high priorities.

Jagmeet Singh of the left-of-center New Democratic Occasion has accused Mr. Trudeau’s authorities of dealing too slowly with Indigenous issues, as with a missed goal to deliver clear ingesting water to all reserve communities inside 5 years.

The outcomes

All 338 of Canada’s electoral districts, every represented by a member of the Home of Commons, held an election. The social gathering that wins essentially the most seats will get to type the federal government and make its chief the prime minister.

Canadians had 12 hours to vote. The final polls closed in British Columbia at 7 p.m. Pacific time, or 10 p.m. Japanese. However Canadian elections are usually determined in Ontario and Quebec, essentially the most populous provinces.

Canada nonetheless votes with paper ballots, and so they all have to be counted by hand. By late Monday night, the outcomes turn out to be clear. With some votes nonetheless being forged or uncounted, the preliminary outcomes had been a close to repeat of the 2019 vote. The Liberal Occasion gained 156 seats — one fewer than it acquired in 2019 — whereas its most important rival, the Conservative Occasion, gained 121 seats, the identical as earlier than.