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In the Quebec riding, tens of thousands of voters were expected, Saturday April 23, at the Palais des Congrès. Despite the many polling stations, they sometimes had to queue for several hours.
In the same way as the inhabitants of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Martinique and Guadeloupe, those of Montreal were also able to vote on Saturday April 23. “Due to the time difference, the French in North America voted early today. There have been a lot of people here since this morning with very impressive queues. It is the largest French expatriate community in the world outside of Europe”explains Loïc de la Mornais, special correspondent in Montreal. Voters were therefore not afraid to face hours of queuing. “Even if we wait two hours every five years, it’s fine. In the ‘family’ queue we can go a little faster”explains a voter. The families came equipped with snacks and games to wait.
The French consul and her teams have been preparing this enormous logistical operation for months. “We chose a large location to accommodate a large crowd because we knew there were going to be tens of thousands of voters. The Palais des Congrès therefore seemed to us to be the most suitable place”says Sophie DropConsul General of France in Montreal. On the floors, the polling stations are running at full speed diet. Although many intend to stay in Canada, the attachment to this civic duty remains strong. In the first round, participation was 35%a figure well below the national average, but common in overseas constituencies.