Your First Vote hub
Return to the full non-partisan guide hub for the full route, sibling explainers, and election-day checklist.
Election debates can feel like political boxing matches. One candidate lands a joke. Another goes on the attack. A leader dodges a hard question with a polished sentence, and supporters online declare victory before the closing statements. But a voter’s job isn’t to score the entertainment. Your job is to test judgment — to watch actively, not just react. With a little structure, a debate becomes one of the most useful tools you have.
A debate isn’t a performance to enjoy. It’s an interview you’re conducting from your couch.
Before the debate
Walk in with your top three issues already written down — the ones from earlier in this series. Whether that’s housing, health care, taxes, immigration, jobs, childcare, safety, transit, climate, or education, knowing your list in advance means you’ll notice immediately whether a candidate actually addresses what you care about, or only what they want to talk about.
During the debate
Track whether they…
- Answered the actual question
- Gave specifics
- Explained the cost
- Explained the timeline
- Respected facts
- Handled criticism
- Admitted trade-offs
- Stayed within the power of the office
Watch for these tricks
- Answering a different question
- Repeating slogans
- Attacking instead of explaining
- Dramatic numbers with no context
- Pretending every problem has one cause
- Promising things outside their control
- Interrupting as a strategy
- Sounding confident while saying little
What matters more than style
Keep this
The candidate who “won” the debate online is often just the one who landed the best line. The candidate who deserves your vote is the one who answered the most questions honestly.
Watch with a pen in hand. Use the debate scorecard below to rate each candidate on substance — and trust your notes over the post-debate noise.
Official and settlement resources
- Your First Vote in Canada hubThe master index for the non-partisan civic micro-series.
- Elections CanadaFederal voting rules, registration, ID, riding, and election information.
- Provincial or territorial election authorityUse your province or territory's official election website for provincial rules and candidate lists.
- Your municipality, school district, or school boardUse official local election pages for trustee candidates, wards, voting locations, and deadlines.
- Find newcomer settlement servicesFree settlement agencies can explain local systems without campaigning for a party or candidate.
This guide is for general civic education only and is strictly non-partisan. It does not favour any candidate or party. Verify debate claims against official platforms and independent reporting before you decide.
References
- Leaders' Debates Commission, "Leaders' Debates Commission," Government of Canada. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.debates-debats.ca/en
- Elections Canada, "Elections Canada home page," Elections Canada. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx
- Elections Canada, "Election security and safeguards," Elections Canada. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?dir=int&document=index&lang=e§ion=vot
- Elections Canada, "Check your ElectoFacts," Elections Canada. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?dir=dis&document=index&lang=e§ion=res
- Elections Canada, "Understanding Foreign Interference in Elections," Elections Canada. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?dir=ing&document=index&lang=e§ion=vot
- Department of Justice Canada, "Canada Elections Act, S.C. 2000, c. 9," Justice Laws Website. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-2.01/
- House of Commons of Canada, "Find Members of Parliament," House of Commons. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en
- House of Commons of Canada, "Votes," House of Commons. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/votes
- Parliament of Canada, "LEGISinfo," Parliament of Canada. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bills
- Parliamentary Budget Officer, "Home," Parliamentary Budget Office. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en
- Government of Canada, "Plan to protect Canada's democracy," Canada.ca. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/democratic-institutions/services/protecting-democracy.html
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, "How to identify misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation," Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Accessed: Jul. 9, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/how-identify-misinformation-disinformation-and-malinformation-itsap00300
