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Leaders’ debate may influence voters

“Voters, armed with new knowledge of the candidates from the English and French leadership debates last week, have turned out in record numbers so far to the Easter weekend advance polls,” the Angus Reid Institute stated in a news release.

“The debates may have been the last chance for party leaders to influence the decision of many voters, shrinking a short campaign even further for a good portion of the electorate.”

Elections Canada estimates nearly 7.3 million Canadians voted during advance polls over the Easter long weekend. 

Following the leaders’ debate, Poilievre has closed the gap between himself and Liberal leader Mark Carney, Angus Reid said.

According to Angus Reid, about one third (32 per cent) of Canadians say they were impressed by Poilievre after watching either the English or French debates, with 34 per cent saying they were impressed by Carney.

The Angus Reid company surveyed 2,459 participants online from April 17 to 21. The results with a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, the company noted.

Strategic voting gaining momentum

However, the pollster noted there is also a growing sentiment to vote “anything but Conservative” — especially among previous NDP supporters.

“A month ago, three-in-10 (respondents) said that was a top two reason for their pivot to the Liberals, while more than 45 per cent say the same now,” the Angus Reid agency said.

The narrowing gap

According to the , of their 3,005 participants questioned April 11-14 for a National Post and Journal Montreal survey, 43 per cent said they would vote for the Liberal party if the election were held today.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent of respondents favoured the Conservatives.

“The gap between the Liberals and the Conservatives narrows from seven points to five points this week,” the company noted in a news release.

One third of respondents said they were still undecided and were open to changing their mind on which candidate to support.

Voting from fear or hope 

When asked what emotions impacted their opinion, half of the Leger participants said hope for a better future in Canada to live, work and raise a family was the main one influencing their vote.

Fewer said it was about fear — fear about what the future may hold for the country in light of the United States’ trade actions.

Tight two-party race

In its , the Ipsos company also noted the election race is tight between the Liberals and Conservatives.

“We noticed a decline in Liberal support and a slight rise in Conservative support,” Darrel Bricker, company CEO of global affairs, .

But early public opinion polls seem to reflect the decimation of a specific party.

“One thing consistent in all the polls, and has been consistent with our polling, is the desperate decline of the NDP. In our polling, we have them around 10 (per cent of the vote), this would be a performance in line with where they were in 1990, when they didn’t have official party status.”

Conservative support is steady

According to , the gap between the Liberals and Conservatives is narrowing, as “there has been some movement numerically from the Liberals to the NDP, while Conservative support remains steady,” the

Its latest survey spoke with 1,308 Canadians, with results accurate within 2.7 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.

While the survey still reported the Liberals with a 5.5 per-cent overall lead over the Conservatives, “among voters aged 35 to 54, the Conservatives are at 40 per cent support followed by the Liberals at 39 per cent.”

“The current Liberal advantage is being driven by voters in Eastern Canada and those over 55 years of age,” chief data scientist Nik Nanos stated in a news release.

When is the federal election?

Election day in Canada is Monday, April 28. For more information about candidates in your riding, where to vote and what you need in order to vote, visit .