Following the closure of voting stations in much of Quebec, residents have cast their ballots in municipal elections. Montreal is set to welcome a new mayor as Valérie Plante steps down after serving two terms, overseeing Canada’s second-largest city.
The province of Quebec is home to approximately 1,100 municipalities, with numerous officials elected by acclamation in various areas, as reported by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. A total of 568 mayoral seats and 4,034 municipal council seats were filled without opposition.
Notably, at least 14 mayors in the greater Montreal region, including those from Kirkland and Dollard-des-Ormeaux, were elected by acclamation, leaving the task of electing 523 mayors and 2,761 municipal councillors to the voters.
Prior to the official election day, advance polling and various voting methods were already implemented in numerous municipalities, with most polls closing at 8 p.m. on Sunday. The City of Gatineau extended its polling hours until 8:30 p.m. due to technical issues experienced at some stations in the morning.
As ballot counting commences, results will be unveiled progressively. CBC’s live coverage begins at 8 p.m. on television, radio, and online platforms.
For election updates, viewers can tune in to CBC TV and CBC Radio One or stream via CBC Gem, CBC Listen, YouTube, or the CBC News Quebec streaming channel.
Voter turnout
In the previous municipal elections across Quebec, 38.7 per cent of eligible voters participated, marking a decrease from participation rates ranging from 44.8 to 47.2 per cent in the four preceding elections.
Similarly, Montreal witnessed a participation rate of 38 per cent among eligible voters in the city during the 2021 elections, which was four percentage points lower than the turnout reported eight years ago.
By midday on Sunday, Élections Montréal estimated a voter turnout of approximately 17 per cent.
Elections Québec spokesperson Julie St-Arnaud Drolet suggested that the ongoing transit strike in Montreal might be influencing voter turnout negatively, emphasizing the