What Canada’s major parties prioritized in the final days of the 2025 federal election

As Canada is just a few hours away from its federal election, it becomes important for voters to know about the campaign strategies, as it helps to know the priorities and intentions of their leaders. The Liberals, Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, and National Democratic Party are the major political forces vying for power in Canada.

An individual announcement by a political leader in one riding may not mean much, but when viewed on a larger scale, it reveals patterns in a party's strategy.

Conservative Party

Winning Liberal-held ridings is crucial for the Conservatives if they have any chance of securing power, and their leader, Pierre Poilievre's aggressive campaign schedule reflected this strategy. Over three-quarters of their stops have been in ridings they are aiming to win. They need to win key seats in areas like the Greater Toronto Area, Quebec and Atlantic Canada for a shot at forming the next government.

The Liberal Party

The Liberals held a "tentative" lead, according to Tari Ajadi in the early stages of the campaign, as it was unclear whether the party's resurgence under new leader Mark Carney had staying power.

Carney spent 57% campaign stops in ridings that the party held at dissolution. But after the debates, the party began prioritizing nonincumbent ridings with 64% of his visits focusing on these, an increase from 43%. Another reason for Liberals visiting their own ridings was partly due to the party having more seats than its rivals.

National Democratic Party

The NDP started with an offensive strategy but was ultimately forced to shift to a defensive strategy, where the party aimed to gain seats, and the change was stark.

Almost 78% of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's visits during the first three weeks of the campaign were to non-NDP ridings, the highest percentage among the four main party leaders.

But the party quickly entered "save-the-furniture" mode after the debates as it couldn't escape polling that suggested it was on the verge of losing official status, which required securing 12 seats.

In fact, 61% of Singh's visits were to ridings held by the NDP. Tari Ajadi, an assistant political science professor at McGill University, argues that the New Democrats had their opportunity to gain ground before the election was called.

NDP should have adopted a defensive strategy earlier in the campaign, once it became clear the party was struggling to gain support, he suggested.

The Bloc Québécois

The Bloc Québécois, like the NDP, spent much of its final week focusing on securing ridings that were once considered safe. The party took a half-offensive, half-defensive approach, with 84% of Yves-François Blanchet's post-debate appearances in Bloc-held ridings, including several return visits.

The focus on key ridings, whether to expand influence or protect existing positions, demonstrates the high-stakes nature of the race and is a key determinant before the elections.