With the Quebec provincial election campaign now underway, voters will need to pay attention to some key dates leading up to Oct. 5.
Address changes and registration
Eligible voters have from Sept. 14 to Oct. 1 to register to vote or to have their address changed. This applies to those who have moved or will move prior to Sept. 21.
Those who need to apply to become a voter or change their address can do so online by clicking here or by going to the office of your returning officer.
Out-of-province voting
For those who won’t be in the province on election day, the deadline to apply to vote outside the province is Sept. 16.
In order to be eligible to vote outside the province, one must have their permanent residence in Quebec for at least 12 months, have the intention of returning to the province, and have been outside the province for five years or less.
After registering to vote from outside the province, voters will receive instructions on how to vote, a ballot paper, and three envelopes. The ballot must be received by 8 p.m. on Oct. 5.
Candidate nominations
The deadline to nominate a candidate for the 2026 election is 2 p.m. on Sept. 17.
A complete list of candidates that have been approved since July 1 is available on the Elections Quebec website.
At-home voting
For those who are unable to move for health reasons, there is an option to be able to vote from home.
In order to do this, a request must be submitted before Sept. 21 by contacting the returning officer of your electoral division by telephone, fax or mail.
Additionally, for those who wish to vote from the home of their informal caregiver must also include the caregiver in their request, if the caregiver wishes to vote at the same time.
Early voting
For those looking to cast their ballot before election day, there are two methods by which that can be done.
The first is by visiting the returning officer’s office on Sept. 25-26, and from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.
The second method is through advance polling stations, which will be set up across the province on Sept. 27-28.
Working the election
Elections Quebec is also expected to hire and train around 60,000 people for the election.
Those who are interested in applying must be 16 years of age or older and can apply online by clicking here.
Debates
There will be three French-language leaders’ debates in September.
- Sept. 15 — hosted by TVA Nouvelles
- Sept 16. — hosted by Noovo Info
- Sept. 23 — hosted by Radio-Canada
There will be no English-language debate.
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