After a 35-day race, the voters have spoken. And they've decisively chosen to stick to the status quo.

After Canada's most expensive federal election in history, the electoral map is largely unchanged.

Preliminary results show that the Liberals actually lost three seats in this election, over what they had won in 2019.

It comes after then-and-still-Prime Minster Justin Trudeau declared a snap election last month, hoping to firm up his minority government and establish a majority.

But despite not winning a majority, he is still the man in charge after winning his third term.

Our coverage was brought to you by BBC Canada's Holly Honderich, Jessica Murphy, Robin Levinson-King and Dan Lytwyn.

After a long night of counting, Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party is projected to have won Monday's snap general election. The prime minister thanked voters for returning him to power for a third time.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

After weeks of campaigning - and millions of dollars spent - the initial reaction to the Canadian election results following Justin Trudeau's decision to call an early election has been somewhat scathing.

"In the end, this election was ultimately for nothing," University of Winnipeg politics professor Felix Mathieu told AFP, pointing to the projected seat count for each party as being similar to the split in the last parliament, with most incumbents re-elected.

Pollster Tim Powers predicted a minority win for Trudeau's Liberal party, but asked: "Is that a win for him?"

After all, he pointed out to news agency AFP, Trudeau had hoped for more than just a plurality of seats.

This is also something Conservative leader Erin O'Toole noticed in his concession speech on the night. "But tonight Canadians did not give Mr Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted," he said.

Martin Pelletier, of investment firm Trivest Wealth Counsel, describes the election as a "non-event".

"The Conservatives and NDP were really focused on trying to address the escalating cost of living crisis going on in the country, especially in jurisdictions like Vancouver and Toronto, whereas Justin Trudeau was heavily focused on climate change initiatives. I thought that cost of living would resonate more with voters," he told Reuters.

"This is a non-event. We're getting more of the same as what we had before."

Image source, Getty Images

Thirty-six days and C$610m ($476m; £348m) later, it looks like Canadians are right back where they started.

Justin Trudeau's snap election has delivered the status quo: another Liberal minority government.

The situation up north bears some similarities to last week's recall election in California.

An estimated C$352m ($276m; £201m) was spent while voters determined the fate of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

But after months of campaigning, voters in the Golden State also ended up with more of the same: two more years of Newsom.

Although Justin Trudeau will stay on as Canada's prime minister, there have been a few upsets tonight.

• Trudeau's Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef lost her seat in the riding of Peterborough, Ontario - a district that has been an electoral bellwether for Canada for six decades. Conservative Michelle Ferreri will replace her

• The NDP has lost its only seat in Atlantic Canada, after the longtime MP announced his retirement this year. Liberal Joanne Thompson will replace Jack Harris, who held the seat since 1987
• Maxime Bernier, the right-wing leader of the People's Party of Canada, failed to win in his riding. His party also failed to garner any seats, despite building a national movement around the platform of opposition to Covid vaccination mandates

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Montreal, Québec

Image source, Getty Images

Canadian elections may not get the same global attention as those in the US and Europe - but that doesn’t mean that the outcome of today’s vote won’t have a global impact.

Whoever ends up in charge in Ottawa, the national capital and seat of the federal government, will be making decisions on matters like climate and free trade, where the next Canadian government will seek to deepen its economic partnerships.

The Conservative leader, Erin O’Toole, for example, has said he would push to join the US, UK and Australia in their recently announced security pact. He’s also supportive of pursuing the so-called Canzuk trade deal with Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Trudeau and the Liberals have pledged to deepen diplomatic, economic, and defence partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.

The country is also a G7 and G20 member and a partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), in Norad, a maritime and aerospace advanced warning system with the US, and in the Five Eyes alliance.

And Canada is an Arctic nation, sharing interest in the region with countries like Russia, the US, Norway and Sweden even as the north opens up due to a changing climate.

How much of an emphasis Canada will place on its Arctic sovereignty and security could depend on who wins today's election. (The Liberal platform makes three mentions of the country's Arctic region, the Conservative platform has 30).

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, Montreal, Québec

After a five-week campaign, the parliament that Canadians have elected this time around looks strikingly similar to the one they voted for in 2019.

Justin Trudeau has retained power but is still short of a majority. The Conservatives will have won the popular vote but failed to secure enough seats to topple Trudeau's Liberals.

While results will continue to trickle in over the coming days as election officials tally the mail-in ballots, in the end little is projected to have changed in the overall seat count for each party beyond a few marginal wins and losses.

Still, Trudeau painted this early election call as a victory in his speech to supporters in the early morning hours on Tuesday, telling them that "what we've seen tonight is millions of Canadians [who] have chosen a progressive plan".

Image source, Getty Images

We saw an unusual sight for a Canadian election today: long lines.

Some voters reportedly had to wait up to two hours while trying to cast their ballots - primarily due to voting modifications that were a result of the pandemic.

But there's good news: Elections Canada has just announced that all Canadians waiting in line have been able to cast their ballots.

Bernd Debusmann
BBC News, Washington

Image source, Getty Images

He managed to get another win for the Liberals this time, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is likely to "get out of the way" in several years, according to Canadian author and political theorist David Moscrop.

Moscrop told the BBC that the "traditional trajectory" would be to stay on for a period of time before allowing a new leader to come in and call an election.

"That would be a year or 18 months. That new leader would have a chance to get their own parliament, whether majority or minority," he said. Such an outcome, he added, would be "fairly consistent with Canadian history".

In Trudeau’s case, Moscrop said that it is "plausible" that the Liberals choose Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as their leader in the near future before heading to another election.

"We've all worked so hard over the last few weeks and the last few years. And we've come so far," Trudeau continues as he addresses supporters in Montreal.

"Let us not forget the past and the dark days we have come through together. But let us still look to the future and all that is still to come and all that we have still to build together," he says.

"Let us work together. And let us seize the promise of a brand new day."

With that, his speech has ended.

Trudeau begins by thanking Canadians for voting "to send Canada through this pandemic and to the brighter days ahead".

He mentions the issues important to his party's platform - climate action, affordable homes and childcare - and promises to continue to work on them.

"You have given this government and this parliament clear direction," he says.

Switching between English and French, he addresses the nation from a hotel ballroom in Montreal, Quebec. The room is adorned in red, the colour of the Liberals.

Trudeau thanks his political opponents: "Thank you for being part of this important moment."

"Political life isn't easy," he continues, adding: "Thank you for your service."

Image source, Pool

Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau is now up on the stage. He is joined by his wife.

It is his third time winning a federal election. He will remain Canada's prime minister, but he did not manage to take the majority of seats that he hoped to when he called a snap election last month.

Robin Levinson King
BBC News, Toronto, Ontario

Image source, Getty Images

For the first time in a decade, the NDP will have more seats in parliament than they had at the start of the election, picking up an additional three seats for a projected total of 27.

The left-leaning party reached an all-time high in 2011, rising to be the official opposition when they won 103 seats in the House of Commons.

They failed to keep up that momentum, losing seats in each subsequent election down to a low of 24 in 2019.

Leader Jagmeet Singh has made small growth for the party by being a progressive voice in contrast to Trudeau's more centrist Liberals.

"We will never stop fighting for you," he said in his speech, promising to campaign for affordability and a tax on the rich.

Singh made history by becoming the first non-white leader of a federal party in Canada in 2017. Recently, he picked up the endorsement of a fellow left-of centre politician, US Senator and former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.

Image source, Pool

New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Jagmeet Singh takes the stage along with his pregnant wife. The pair are expecting their first child.

Singh starts his remarks by congratulating Trudeau, and promising to "keep fighting to make sure that the super wealthy pay their fair share".

"We're gonna fight for you. We've seen you. We've heard your stories. We're going to fight for you," he says.

He vows to address the climate crisis and healthcare.

"That's what the New Democrats are all about."

After he finishes speaking, the couple is joined on stage by dancing supporters and the music is cranked up.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is now speaking.

"The result is hard to comment on," he says in French, adding that the number of seats held by the party are approximately the same as what they had before this election.

"So what this all means is… we will have to do more and do better. The people of Quebec expect that we will do this," he adds.

His party, which only runs candidates in Quebec, holds third place for seats in the House of Commons.

He continues that provinces should not be "held hostage" to the federal government in Ottawa, and calls for "more money for the healthcare system".

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Oshawa, Ontario

Image source, Getty Images

Erin O'Toole is getting his biggest applause of the night, promising to build a Conservative tent that includes all Canadians.

This was central to O'Toole's election pitch: a more moderate, inclusive conservatism - especially on social issues like LGBT and women's rights.

The Conservative party "must have the courage to change", he says.

While O'Toole acknowledges his defeat, his tone is defiant. At times, the speech sounds more like a campaign launch than a concession.

"Whenever the next election comes, I’ll be ready to lead the Conservative party to victory," he says.

One thing is clear: O'Toole has no plans to step down after tonight's loss.

Holly Honderich
BBC News, Oshawa, Ontario

The Conservative leader starts his speech with a critique of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and his snap election.

Trudeau was looking for a "quick power grab", O'Toole says. "But Canadians did not give Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted."

O'Toole, who will be Canada's opposition leader once again, is reframing his electoral loss as a win: he and his party denied Trudeau the majority he sought in calling the early election.

He says the Conservatives are projected to win the popular vote once again, but concedes there is "more work for us to do" to hold government.

It's a friendly crowd here at headquarters. O'Toole, 48, was met by a standing ovation as the crowd shouted his name.

As he speaks, they're listening intently and cheering at each turn of O'Toole's speech.

Image source, Pool

The Conservative leader Erin O'Toole has just taken the stage with his wife and two children.

Earlier tonight he won his parliamentary seat, but his party has failed to win enough seats to prevent Trudeau's Liberal Party from staying in power.

Moments ago, O'Toole is said to have called Trudeau to concede the race.

We've just heard from the Green Party leader, and soon we'll go to the Conservatives.

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole will address supporters imminently from his election night headquarters in Oshawa, Ontario.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau is due to speak at 00:30 EST (05:15 GMT) from a hotel in Montreal.

Image source, Pool

Green Party leader Annamie Paul has spoken to a group of her supporters after coming in fourth place in her own race.

"We're sending two hopefully three greens back to Ottawa," she said, saying the party should celebrate that achievement.