The Globe and Mail reports:

Polls in most of Canada closed their doors Monday evening, signalling the start of a night of ballot counting which could lead to a dramatic shift in this country’s political landscape.

Stations in Newfoundland and Labrador closed their doors at 7 p.m. EST. Stations in the rest of Atlantic Canada followed half an hour later. Polls from Ontario to Alberta also closed at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Polls in British Columbia are the last to remain open. They close at 10 p.m. EST.

Results will be posted on globeandmail.com at that time.

According to Elections Canada, once a poll closes the deputy returning officer in charge counts the ballots and calls in the results to the returning officer for electoral district.

The results are then immediately relayed to electronically to Elections Canada. They also go to a national media consortium which distributes the numbers across the country.

Throughout the day, Elections Canada officials said things started well and continued to operate smoothly.

“Reports are that the voting was brisk in the opening period,” Elections Canada spokesman Dana Doiron told Canadian Press early on in the day.

“There were no reports of extraordinary lineups.”

Via Breitbart/AP: “According to early results after polls closed in far eastern Canada, the Canadian Press news agency reported that the Liberal Party won two seats in Newfoundland and was ahead in two more of the province’s seven seats.”

More:

The Liberals took an early edge in the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, winning 19 seats to 10 for the Conservatives _ three more than in the last elections _ and three for the New Democratic Party.

However, the lead was not expected to hold once results are tabulated in more populated central provinces where polls closed at 9:30 EST.

Captain’s Quarters is liveblogging. I’ve been able to access the site, but many readers are e-mailing that they can’t get on. Just keep trying.

Meantime, Ed points to some other Canadian election liveblogging resources, including Newsbeat1. See also Publius Pundit, which is covering the “Maple Revolution.”

Also check out Brian Maloney’s excellent piece on the role of bloggers in the Canadian elections.

Steve Janke is looking ahead: Investigate or fumigate?

Dust My Broom says “Canada will only become more Americanized under Harper.”

Peaktalk covers the Left’s realignment.

And reader Chris H. in California writes:

“Our losers always tell us they are going to move somewhere like Canada if the voters have the arrogance to elect Republicans. Where do Canadians threaten to go?”

I dunno. Pyongyang?

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Mark Steyn is liveblogging!

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