It’s that time of year again! The US presidential campaigning period has officially kicked off, with several presidential hopefuls having announced their candidacies earlier this month. As reporters prepare for the impending media circus, political organizers across the country begin to kick their fundraising efforts into overdrive. Even Canadian news websites and social media feeds are rapidly becoming saturated with stories of Hillary Clinton’s email troubles and the eerie possibility of another Bush presidency.

Such is often the case in a country bordering the world’s dominant superpower. But here in Canada, our politicians are preparing campaigns of their own, for an election that is just around the corner. The 42^nd federal Canadian elections, set to take place on October 19, 2015, will determine who our Prime Minister will be, and exactly how much power they will have. While the campaigns are still in their premature stages, the polls indicate a tight race that is anything but predeterminable. And as usual, no one knows what gaffes, crises, or revelations could occur in the meantime.

A lot is going on right now in federal politics, and things can get confusing pretty quickly. This article is meant as a primer for those who are too busy to pay close attention, but still want a good idea of what to expect for the upcoming campaign period. Let’s begin with the ruling party.

THE CONSERVATIVES

Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party is approaching this election from a position of power. Having gained a majority government in 2011, the Conservatives have made liberal use of their parliamentary dominance (pun intended), reforming everything from voting, to food inspection, to environmental regulation. Harper’s hawkish rhetoric following the 2014 Parliament Hill shooting and decision to launch a bombing campaign against ISIS have cemented Conservative attempts to rally Canadians around the flag, an approach that tends to garner nationalistic support for the party in power.

More recently, this ‘tough on terror’ campaign has led to the introduction of Bill C-51, a proposed law that would ramp up domestic anti-terror efforts and increase the power of Canada’s intelligence agencies. The bill has been criticized by a wide array of activist groups, legal commentators, and the NDP for its perceived threats to constitutional liberties. On the other hand, it has also polled positively with certain voter groups, such as the Quebec electorate (a traditionally anti-Conservative stronghold), and gained the reluctant support of the Liberals. The exact electoral ramifications of Bill C-51 and the broader Conservative narrative remain to be seen.

Over the past few months, a sharp drop in the price of oil has slowed Canada’s economy and significantly devalued the Canadian dollar, bolstering critics who accuse Harper of putting all his economic eggs in the same basket. The Conservatives have spent considerable energy on image control, however, billing themselves as fiscal pragmatists with sound management abilities. Few public transit users will have missed their long-running ad campaign (‘Canada’s Economic Action Plan’), and Conservative officials have frequently touted their party’s budget balancing measures. Nonetheless, widespread cuts and provincial frustrations have given opposition parties considerable political ammunition against the ruling Tories.

THE NDP

Out of the three main parties, the NDP has the most to lose from this election, but also the most to gain. Since the ‘Orange Wave’ of 2011 turned them into the official opposition party for the first time ever, Canada’s New Democratic Party has been working to reinvent itself as a viable mainstream contender. This may prove difficult, as the New Democrats have traditionally been viewed by many as a leftfield third party. After an initial lag in the polls, the party has received a recent uptick in Western Canada, a surprising turn. However, they still sit decidedly in third place behind the Conservatives and Liberals, who have been polling neck-to-neck.

The true test for the party will be the electoral outcome in Quebec. Quebec became the NDP’s main support base after the Orange Wave, but what was once solid ground for the party may now be political quicksand. Polls show the potential for significant Liberal, Bloc Quebecois, and Conservative advances in the province, which would come mostly at the expense of NDP seats. Some of party leader Thomas Mulcair’s political stances have had a lukewarm reception in his home province, with his support of the ‘Energy East’ pipeline irking his more environmentally-minded supporters in Quebec. Mulcair has set the bar for pipeline projects higher than his rivals, however, opposing the Keystone XL pipeline which Trudeau and Harper have both ardently supported.

The main party narrative put forth by Mulcair has been one of egalitarianism and social justice in traditional NDP fashion, along with regular criticisms of Harper’s military interventionism and budget cuts. It is unclear how effectively the NDP will be able to mobilize its youth and Quebecois support bases, and whether Mulcair will be able to overcome his gruff image to connect with the Canadian public. Ultimately, this election will reveal whether or not the New Democrats have managed to convince voters of their mainstream political mettle.

THE LIBERALS

The Liberals are heading into this election with their smallest caucus ever, placing their comeback hopes on the popular appeal of party leader Justin Trudeau. Trudeau, a young and camera-friendly legacy figure, has positioned himself as a fresh face for a party that many have come to view as stuffy and antiquated. The media spotlight has shone dependably on Trudeau, whose relatively radical support of marijuana legalization and the banishment of Liberal Senators have captured headlines over the past year.

The traditionally centrist party’s current platform is now looking more like a mixed bag, with social leftism accompanying a more pro-business economic standpoint. Trudeau has stated that only pro-choice candidates will be allowed to run in 2015, and has also taken a vocal stance against Quebec’s controversial ‘Charter of Values.’ On the other hand, he has come out strongly in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline, and implied he would like to form a cosier relationship with China.

CONCLUSION

Again, very little is certain regarding the 2015 Canadian elections. The Conservatives could extend their majority mandate for another term, lose their majority status, or even be deposed by one of their rival parties. The Bloc Quebecois, all but wiped out in the last elections, might once again become a political force to be reckoned with. The Green Party, represented in Parliament solely by its leader Elizabeth May, is fighting for inclusion in the national debates, and may even be able to clinch an additional seat or two.

This is not an election to miss out on—I urge all readers to register to vote if they have not already done so. As the wave of recent pro-democracy struggles around the world has demonstrated, the ballot is not something that should be taken for granted.