Election period begins Friday ahead of Nov. 2 municipal elections in Quebec

Friday marks the official start of the election period ahead of Quebec’s municipal elections, which will take place on Nov. 2.

The start of the election period means that candidates can begin putting up their signs. Many posters had already appeared along the streets on Friday morning.

According to Quebec government data, approximately 8,000 municipal elected positions will be up for grabs on Nov. 2 in the province’s 1,100 municipalities.

Those wishing to run for office have until Oct. 3 to submit their candidacy. Women and young people are encouraged to run, as both groups are underrepresented on municipal councils.

We already know that there will be a change at the head of the province’s largest city, Montreal, as the current mayor, Valérie Plante, is not seeking a third term.

Luc Rabouin of Projet Montréal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada of Ensemble Montréal, and Craig Sauvé of Transition Montréal are the candidates of the main parties in the metropolis.

In Quebec City, Mayor Bruno Marchand is asking voters to give him a second term. The man who succeeded Régis Labeaume in 2021 is facing off against former provincial minister Sam Hamad, among others.

Stéphane Boyer (Laval), Catherine Fournier (Longueuil), and Julie Dufour (Saguenay) will seek re-election. In Saguenay, Dufour faces, among others, Andrée Laforest, who until recently was Minister of Municipal Affairs.

The mayor of Gatineau, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, who was elected last year in a by-election following the resignation of France Bélisle, is also seeking a new term.

Évelyne Beaudin (Sherbrooke), Gilles Lehouillier (Lévis), and Jean Lamarche (Trois-Rivières) will not be seeking re-election.

Advance voting will take place on Oct. 26, one week before election day.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews