Election day 2021: Liberals ahead as first results trickle in

Polls have closed in Atlantic Canada, with early results starting to be reported in this historic 36-day pandemic federal election. The Liberals have taken an early lead, though the party has been strong in the region over the last two federal elections.

Across the region there are 32 seats up for grabs. Going into this campaign, the Liberals held 27 seats in Atlantic Canada, the Conservatives held four seats, and the NDP held one.

As of 9 p.m. EDT, CTV News’ decision desk has determined that 15 Liberals and five Conservatives have been elected in the region.

In the rest of the country, Canadians are still casting ballots to elect their next member of Parliament, and ultimately determine who will form the next federal government at a pivotal time in the pandemic.

The next batch of polls closing will happen at 9:30 p.m. EDT, and will see results start to come in from Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut and Northwest Territories.