Trudeau's hopes for a decisive win hang by a thread as Canadians vote

MONTREAL - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may cling to power after the dust has settled on Monday's election, but he is likely to lose his bid for a parliamentary majority after a tough campaign that dashed his ruling Liberals' hopes for a convincing win.

Trudeau heads a minority government that relies on the support of other parties to pass legislation. With opinion polls last month showing him far ahead of his rivals, the Liberal leader triggered the vote two years earlier than necessary, saying voters needed to weigh in on his left-of-center Liberal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But as the public's unhappiness about the early call grew, the 49-year-old prime minister saw his lead evaporate. Liberal strategists now concede it will be hard for the party to win a majority of the 338 seats in the House of Commons.