Political parties are the building blocks of modern elections. They provide the political leaders, candidates, and policy proposals that most people use to decide whom to vote for. There were 2146 candidates registered for the 2019 election, and 21 registered political parties. Of the 2146 candidates, 125 ran as Independents or unaffiliated.

The best way to discover what each political party stands for overall, or what it has to say on a particular issue, is to visit their web site and see what that have to say.  Lower down this page are links to all the registered parties and, where available, to their leaders, lists of candidates, and their main election platform.

Finding out what the parties stand for is vital for most Canadians at election time. A Nanos poll conducted in March 2011 found that 48% of Canadians said they were most influenced by a party's policies in their decision about whom to vote for, 20% by the party leader, and 10% simply said they traditionally vote for the party; only 12% of Canadians felt that the local candidate was the most important factor in deciding how to vote.

If you are unsure which party best matches your views, then visit the CBC Vote Compass. After answering a range of questions, you will see which of the major parties you are closest to you.

To find out which parties and candidates are running in your own electoral district, visit Elections Canada.