Quebec at the polls | Press

This Sunday, all Quebecers can still vote to elect their municipal council. Overview of this vast operation.



Ariane Krol

Ariane Krol
Press

They court your vote

Polling stations on November 7

  • Mayors: 483
  • Advisors: 2542
  • MRC Prefects: 14

They didn’t need your vote

Municipalities where the entire municipal council was elected without opposition: 273

Candidates already elected without opposition (including in municipalities where part of the seats will be the subject of a race)

  • Mayors: 608
  • Advisors: 4291
  • MRC Prefects: 4

Will you vote?

Participation rate in the last municipal elections

2017

All of Quebec: 44.8%

Highest: 91.4% (Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, in Bas-Saint-Laurent)

* This municipality is not a candidate for the best turnout this time around, because its entire council was elected without opposition.

Lowest: 28.1% (Pointe-à-la-Croix, in the Gaspésie – Îles-de-la-Madeleine region)

* Three of the councilors of this municipality having already been elected without opposition, only the positions of the mayor and three councilors will be put to the vote on November 7.

Source: MAMH

More women … at least among the candidates

Much effort has been made to attract more female candidates, in particular by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH), the Chief Electoral Officer (DGE), the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) and the Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM).

They are indeed more numerous this year.

Applicants by gender (%)

2017

  • Male: 68.7
  • Women: 31.3

2021

  • Male: 64.5
  • Women: 35.5

If the increase is visible in all regions, voters do not have as many choices of female candidates everywhere

Higher proportion of female candidates

Laval: 46.4%

Lower proportion of female candidates

Chaudière-Appalaches: 30%

No longer called, but how many elected?

With more women candidates, will there be more women at the head of municipalities? This is what is desired, but as we saw in the last election, it is not an exact science.

2017 municipal elections

All positions

  • Female candidates: 31.3%
  • Elected: 32.4%

Advisor positions

  • Female candidates: 33.3%
  • Elected: 34.5%

Mayor’s posts

  • Female candidates: 19.8%
  • Elected: 18.9%

Better than Ottawa, worse than Quebec

Proportion (%) elected in the last elections

  • Municipal (2017): 31.3
  • Federal (2021): 30
  • Provincial (2018): 42

Source: MAMH, DGE, Elections Canada

Rejuvenate the board

Attracting more young people into municipal politics was Quebec’s other major objective this year. For the applications, it paid off.

Candidates aged 18 to 34 for all positions (%)

Many more young people are trying their luck as councilors, but the seat of mayor is gaining in popularity

Candidates for Councilor aged 18-34 (%)

Candidates for the post of mayor aged 18-34 (%)

It remains to be seen whether the citizens will vote for these young candidates. As we have seen at the last municipal elections, this is not guaranteed.

2017 municipal elections

All positions

  • Candidates aged 18 to 34: 8.7%
  • Elected: 8.3%

Advisor positions

  • Candidates aged 18 to 34: 9.8%
  • Elected: 9.3%

Mayor’s posts

  • Candidates aged 18 to 34: 2.5%
  • Elected: 1.9%

Source: MAMH


source site