In today’s federal election (Monday May 2) a clear majority of Canadians will vote against the Conservatives who will, nevertheless, form the next government in Ottawa.

They could have an outright majority of seats depending how the anti-Conservative vote splits. More likely is another minority Conservative administration and a general election in a few years time.

The election has turned out to be a real nail biter. The Liberals – for long regarded as Canada’s natural party of government – are now widely seen by commentators as a busted flush.

The party leader, Michael Ignatieff, is blamed (I think unfairly) for failing “to connect” with the voters. To my mind, he is a thousand times more animated than the stiff metronomic automaton, the Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.

The left leaning NDP are picking up votes from disillusioned Liberals and also from the Bloc in Quebec. There are even astonishing reports that Bloc leader, Giles Duceppe, may find it difficult to hang on to his own constituency.

These reports may be exaggerated but something is clearly happening out there.

The social media is alive and well. Sites such as shitharperdid.ca are doing their best to get the vote out. Project democracy bangs the drum for electoral reform. Apathy is boring gets young people thinking about democracy. Catch 22 encourages strategic voting in its bid to head off a majority Conservative Government. And for political junkies, the pundits’ guide to Canadian federal elections provides the analysis.

And now the Toronto Star urges its readers to back the NDP while warning them of the perils of letting in the Conservatives by the back door, by voting the wrong way.

The Star advises its readers to “vote strategically”.

This isn’t as simple or as straightforward as it sounds.

Instead of relying on voters’ hunches and guesswork much better to give them the chance to express their true preferences on the ballot paper.

Today’s general election in first-past-the-post Canada will help make the case on Thursday for AV in the UK.