On Oct. 3 the Quebec provincial elections are taking place, where the new government will be elected.

 On this day, Quebec citizens will have from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. to vote while the polling stations are open. It is also possible to vote at advance polls, on Sept. 25 or 26, between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., in your personal electoral district. Another option is on campus in Centennial Lobby, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 23, 27, 28, and 29, for voting for the Member of the National Assembly in students’ respective electoral districts. This year, five out of the 27 political parties in Quebec are the biggest competitors: Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), currently in power, Parti Libéral du Québec, Québec Solidaire, Parti Québécois, and Parti Conservateur du Québec. 

Why vote?

When asked about voting in the 2022 provincial general election, international studies student Laurie Benoit answered “Yes, for sure I will vote!” She mentioned that what influences her to go vote is that “the person in power will have impacts on many aspects of our lives. Being in international studies or political studies, I see the effects of not having a democracy in other states and how important it is to vote to exercise our right to democracy.” Business student Corinne Dumas also mentions she will go vote, as “it is part of my citizen duty to go vote. I am so happy and lucky to be born in a democratic country and province where everyone 18 years old and over is allowed to have a voice and have a little impact on our province’s future.” When asked about the way she chooses who to vote for, she answered: “An important aspect that influences my vote is if I feel the campaign pledges are authentic, honest, accountable, and act with integrity.”

How do provincial general elections work?

Every four years, provincial general elections are held on the first Monday of October. They determine which political party will be in power for the next four years. The province is divided into 125 electoral districts, with approximately the same number of electors. The number of electoral districts represents the number of seats in the National Assembly, the governing body of Quebec. Each of these districts elects a Member of the National Assembly (MNA). The political party with the largest number of elected MNAs forms the government. A majority government is formed when more than half of the 125 seats in the National Assembly are obtained by one political party. A minority government is when the political party with the most MNAs out of all the parties wins less than half of the 125 seats.

A brief overview of the campaign pledges

Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ)

The CAQ pledges, in part, to lower taxes and provide more workers with vocational training in order to better the economy. They plan to build a new high school in Sherbrooke and renovate 600 schools in poor condition. They pledge to improve home care and services, offer more options for daycare, and invest $50 million in sustainable agriculture.

Québec Solidaire

Québec Solidaire promises to remove school fees for public schools, from elementary school through high school. They plan to block any pipeline projects, apply Bill 101, which mandates the availability of services in French, to all businesses with more than 10 employees, reduce public transport prices by 50 per cent, and make contraception products free as well as remove the tax on menstrual hygiene products.

Parti Libéral du Québec (PLQ)

The PLQ pledges to renovate and build new schools, reduce taxes, and remove the tax on menstrual hygiene products. They also undertake to review Bill 96 to offer the possibility to study in English at the collegiate level, encourage public transportation, and increase the number of medical clinics.

Parti Québécois

The Parti Québécois undertakes to increase the minimum wage to $18, to renovate schools, and to offer access to complete public transportation at the cost of $1 per day. They pledge to offer better home care and services, and hire more police forces to control and eliminate firearms violence.

Parti Conservateur du Québec

The Parti Conservateur du Québec pledges to remove the tax on gas, convert public transportation to electric vehicles, offer a mandatory French course for immigrants lacking competence in French, offer free public transportation, and create a public sex offender registry.

To learn more about the Quebec Provincial Elections, consult https://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/en/homepage/. 

To learn more on each party’s campaign pledges, consult https://www.ledevoir.com/interactif/2022-09-02/tableau-promesses-electorales/index.html