If the polls hold true, none of the three main parties will win the 170 seats necessary to form a majority government, so it's not a given that any of the parties could be assured of governing with the confidence of parliament. Someone could lose a confidence vote in Parliament. One party could attempt to govern with the support of another party. There could be a coalition government of two or more parties.

One of this country's most respected experts on parliamentary democracy, Peter Russell, spells out the rules that will guide the actions of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston if no party emerges from the election with a majority of seats. Russell says many Canadians take their cues from American politics and don't know the basics of parliamentary democracy.