This Sunday marks the start of early voting in Quebec, which will help determine who will serve as members of the 44th legislature in the National Assembly. Élections Québec notes that there are nearly four times as many polling places for early voting on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 27 and 28, and they are open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The addresses of the early voting polling places and all related information can be found on the registration notice that voters received in the mail, as well as on the Élections Québec website. The agency also notes on its website that the Montreal World Cycling Championships may affect voter turnout in the provincial ridings of Borduas, Chambly, La Pinière, or Mont-Royal–Outremont, and asks voters to check whether their early voting location will be accessible on Sunday during this major cycling event. Originally, early voting was an exceptional measure, but that is no longer the case. Over time, early voting has grown in popularity, so much so that in 2022, more than one-third of voters—37 per cent—exercised their right to vote early. Other options for voting It is also possible to vote at a returning officer’s office from Tuesday, Sept. 29, through Thursday, Oct. 1, no matter where you are in Quebec, thanks to a computerized voter registry. “Election staff can quickly locate a voter among the approximately 6.4 million people registered in Quebec,” states Élections Québec. “During the 2022 general election, more than 80,000 people voted at a returning officer’s office in Quebec,” the organization notes. Students temporarily residing outside their electoral district can also vote on the campuses of several CEGEPs, universities, and vocational training centers. “During the 2022 elections, more than 50,000 people voted on a campus,” states Élections Québec. A polling station will also be set up in the common areas of residential and long-term care centers (CHSLDs) and private senior residences (RPAs). This option was chosen by more than 80,000 voters during the 2022 elections. Election Day The next provincial elections will take place on Monday, Oct. 5. Before the Quebec National Assembly was dissolved, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) formed the government with 79 members. The Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) had 18 members, Québec Solidaire (QS) held 11 seats, and there were seven members from the Parti Québécois (PQ). There were nine independent members and one member from the Quebec Conservative Party.
