Candidate nominations: Where the parties stand on day 1 of the campaign

Ottawa -

With the 36-day election campaign now underway, parties are scrambling to recruit top-tier talent to fill out their political rosters from every corner of the country.

There are 338 seats in Parliament, but only the largest parties run a full slate of candidates.

In line with Canada’s election laws, the deadline for candidates to submit their nomination papers to the returning officer in their individual riding is always 2 p.m. local time on the 21st day before election day. In this case, that will be Aug. 30.

• Election Dispatch: Sign up for a daily update on the campaign

This doesn’t mean they can’t campaign and set up their offices beforehand, but to be listed on the ballot come Sept. 20, they’re required to submit the necessary paperwork before the above deadline.

The Liberals currently have 284 candidates nominated, behind the Conservatives with 304. The Bloc Quebecois has a list of 75, while the NDP sit at 210 and the Green party has 139.

In 2019, the Conservatives entered the race with a full slate of candidates, with the other parties hovering around the 300 mark.