Quebec votes 2026: Voters head to the ballot box Monday after more than 5 weeks of campaign

Quebec’s five leading political parties made promises over the last five weeks on everything from economy to health care and Quebec’s future within Canada. But on Monday, it’s not the politicians who get the final word. Voters do.

Political analyst Daniel Tran says it’s been an unusually crowded race. Five parties have been competitive enough to potentially elect members to the National Assembly — something Quebec hasn’t seen in half a century.

“Voters minds were all over the place a lot of the tectonic plate half shifted left, and right,” Tran said. “Whether the major majority or minor government will be depending on the performance of the conservative party of Quebec.”

CityNews spoke to voters in Montreal a day before the voting day to see what’s driving their choices.

“Others tend to vote about the separation matter,” said Anina. “I vote according to what’s important to me: groceries to be affordable, the housing crisis, the homelessness, the economy of Quebec.”

“The most important thing is environment and education, because I’m a teacher,” said Ariane Moffetter.

For some, what’s happening in the United states also shaped their decision.

“Now is not the time, right? We need to have a unified response to what the Americans are doing to us,” said Carl Miller.

Leaders make final push

Quebec’s main party leaders took a look back at their campaigns on Sunday as they worked to deliver one final message to electors on the eve of Monday’s vote.

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says this election is all about bringing change to the province after eight straight years of Coalition Avenir Québec rule.

“I hope that tomorrow there will be a significant change in direction, and I think that’s what the people of Quebec are expecting,” St-Pierre Plamondon said. “I believe we are the only ones who can offer that.”

Polls suggest his party is the front-runner, but St-Pierre Plamondon urged his volunteers and supporters to make one last push to undecided voters in the campaign’s final 24 hours.

He spent the last day of his campaign in the Montreal region where the PQ has had some of its weakest support over the past decade, but hopes to flip some seats.

St-Pierre Plamondon has said his top priority in his first 100 days will be to allocate a special budget for homelessness, as well as cutting red tape, abolishing taxes on used goods, lowering the gas tax, and reinvesting in community organizations and food banks.

The PQ leader’s rivals, meanwhile, were warning voters against choosing a party that has promised to hold a sovereignty referendum before the end of its first term in government.

Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette says her party is the only one that offers an alternative to the province’s sovereigntist-federalist dichotomy, by focusing on nationalism and economic growth within Canada.

She said she was proud of her campaign, but also expressed regret over not having put more emphasis on the threat posed by a referendum.

‘It’s important for people to realize this, because it’s not just a decision that could affect Quebec in three years”, she said. “There will be impacts because uncertainty will become part of Quebec’s political and economic calendar.”

Fréchette, whose party has been trailing in the polls, was scheduled to spend part of the last full day of campaigning door-knocking in the riding of Trois-Rivières, where she’s running for a seat.

Liberal Leader Charles Milliard described his party as the only federalist option, and urged voters who want to avoid a PQ government to vote strategically for his candidates.

He warned that a PQ minority would be out seeking support for a referendum among the other parties.

“One party that Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon won’t be calling up is Liberal Party of Quebec, because we’re proudly federalist and not ashamed to say it,” he said. 

Milliard said at a campaign stop on Sunday in St-Victor, Que., that his party had gained momentum since the start of the campaign, when he was criticized for not having a picture of him on his party’s campaign bus — an image that was added later. He said the Liberal vote was likely “underestimated” in certain regions

Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime, meanwhile, urged his supporters to cast enough votes on Monday to give his party a strong voice in the legislature. Duhaime has promised to use his leverage to act as a “guard dog” who will protect taxpayer interests and attempt to block a referendum vote. 

Duhaime said he’s hoping his party wins at least 12 seats and official party status, after winning none in 2022.

“I’m very, very serene, and I have confidence,” he said. “The only thing is, we have to make sure people go out and vote.”

In Montreal, Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal was making a final appeal to progressive sovereigntist voters who don’t identify with the “austerity” proposed by the PQ, and other parties, including Duhaime’s Conservatives.

“Send a signal that not all of Quebec has swung to the right or turned conservative, and also send people who will be the only ones to stand up to Éric Duhaime’s influence in the next parliament,” she said.

“Even if the person you vote for only gets five votes, it’s one of the most important rights we have as a democratic society,” Miller said. “People fought for it, absolutely, I’m always going to vote no matter what.”