Polling stations are open today across Quebec as residents head to the polls to elect their local leadership in the municipal elections.
Although Élections Québec had warned of delays in mail delivery due to the contractual dispute at Canada Post, many voters should have already received their electoral information card.
The voter card allows you to know when and where to vote and confirms whether you are registered on the electoral list.
Citizens are reminded to check their eligibility, confirm their names on the voter list and bring proper identification to the polling station.
After the October 3 deadline for municipal candidates to throw their hats in the ring, many were chosen by acclamation.
According to data provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 568 mayoral seats and 4,034 municipal council seats have been filled by candidates elected without opposition.
Among them were at least 14 mayors of the greater Montreal area, including those of Kirkland and Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
That leaves voters with 523 mayors and 2,761 municipal councilors to choose from.
In Montreal, with the resignation of Valérie Plante after two terms, Montrealers are guaranteed a new mayor at the helm of Canada’s second-largest city, which last year had a budget of $7.3 billion.
Advance polls and other voting methods have already been carried out in many municipalities, with surveys on Sunday closing at 8 pm in most jurisdictions. The city of Gatineau announced that its polls would remain open until 8:30 p.m. after some stations experienced computer problems in the morning.
Results will begin to be announced as ballots are counted. CBC will be live tonight starting at 8pm on television, radio and online streaming.
You can find our election coverage on CBC TV and CBC Radio One, or stream it on CBC Gem, CBC Listen, YouTube or the CBC News Quebec streaming channel.
Electoral participation
During the last municipal elections in Quebec, 38.7 per cent of eligible voters participated, compared to participation rates that ranged between 44.8 and 47.2 per cent in the four previous elections.
The turnout rate was similar in Montreal, with just 38 per cent of all eligible voters in the city voting in 2021, four percentage points lower than the paltry number recorded eight years ago.
As of 12:30 on Sunday, Élections Montréal estimated voter turnout at around 17 percent.
While getting voters out the door is not always an easy task, adding a transit strike to the mix could have an impact in Montreal, according to Élections Québec spokesperson Julie St-Arnaud Drolet.
“It’s definitely an additional hurdle,” he told Radio-Canada. “We know that electoral participation in municipal elections is already, let’s say, fragile.”
He noted, however, that polling stations are generally located within walking distance of voters’ homes. St-Arnaud Drolet recommended carpooling with neighbors as a possible option.
