Canadians are heading back to the polls. 

After months of speculation, on Sunday (August 15), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially called for a federal election in the fall. 

“We believe a government’s most important responsibility is to keep Canadians safe and thriving,” he said. "After making it through 17 months of nothing we've experienced before, Canadians deserve to choose what the next 17 months - what the next 17 years and beyond - will look like." 

This campaign will be a short one, only about five weeks long. Election Day will be on September 20th. 

Trudeau and the Liberals won a majority government in 2015 and then a minority government in 2019.

At dissolution, the Liberals held 155 seats, the Conservatives119, the Bloc Quebecois 32, the NDP 24 and the Greens two.  There were also five Independents and one vacancy.