There are big changes for both ridings and candidates since the 2000 election.
Most of the ridings across the country have had their boundaries changed.
It's a process called redistribution and it takes place every 10 years,
after the census has counted how many Canadians there are and where they
now live. "Representation by population" was the principle adopted in 1867
by the Fathers of Confederation, and as people move from town to town and
province to province, the boundaries of electoral districts are changed
to ensure that everyone has a fair say in the running of the country.
In addition to boundary changes, seven new ridings were created this time to reflect population movements: three in Ontario, and two each in Alberta and British Columbia. That brings the total to 308 ridings up for grabs in this election.
Only 26 of Canada's former 301 ridings were not affected by the latest redistribution, and it's no surprise that there were a number of controversial changes. Here's a look at some of those changes.
There were changes for candidates, too, with the formation of a new political alliance. The new Conservative Party of Canada was formed late in 2003 by the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance. Some members of Parliament refused to join the new party and decided either to sit as Independents, to join some other party, or to leave politics altogether.
Candidates are usually elected by a nomination process in their own ridings. Party members decide who will represent them. In some instances, the party or the leader can appoint or designate certain candidates. Here's a look at the appointment process in this election.
If you can't find your candidate in the usual place, take a look at our Independent file or at the CBC Online
political change page.
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