Advance polls open for Quebec election amid foreign interference claims

Explainer

Advance polls opened in Quebec on Saturday for two days of early voting ahead of the Oct. 5 general election.

Voters can cast ballots on Sept. 27 and 28 between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. at designated advance polling stations.

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Five parties are expecting to win seats: the Coalition Avenir Québec, the Parti Québécois, the Quebec Liberals, the Quebec Conservatives and Québec solidaire.

Claims of foreign interference dominated the campaign on Friday and Saturday.

Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette said she was concerned Americans might try to support the sovereigntist Parti Québécois to destabilize Canada.

Her rivals were skeptical about the warnings, and Fréchette also said that there was no indication of interference in the current campaign.

How do I know where and when to vote?

Election day is Oct. 5, with polling stations open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To vote, you must be on the list of electors with an up-to-date address.

You can check your information on the notice of entry sent by mail or verify your address on the Élections Québec website.

The notice of entry and a reminder card sent by Élections Québec will tell you where you can vote.

If you are unsure, you can enter your address on the Élections Québec website to find your advance polling location.

Addresses for advance polling stations are listed on the notice of entry.

You can also vote by casting your ballot directly at the offices of the returning officer on specific days.

Élections Québec warns that the wait time to vote at offices of the returning officer may be longer.

You can find out the address of these offices in your riding by entering your address on the same Élections Québec website.

What do I need to bring to vote?

You must bring one piece of identification with your name and photo, such as a driver's licence, health insurance card or Canadian passport.

You may also bring the notice of entry or the yellow reminder card.

It’s not mandatory, but having your reminder card on hand helps elections officers direct you to the right spot within the polling location more quickly.

If you don’t have the required documents, you can still vote.

There is an elector identity verification panel, where voters can attest that they are the person listed on the list of electors under oath and present multiple different documents.

On voting day, your employer must give you at least four consecutive hours to vote, with no reduction in pay or other penalty.

What about language and accessibility?

A note: The first two documents mailed to voters, an elections guide and a notice of entry, are only available in French this election.

Anglo groups contested the omission of English-language information.

While it was too late to produce the elections guides and notices of entry in English as well as French, a provincial judge recently ruled that Élections Québec must produce the third document mailed to voters, reminder cards, in both official languages.

Élections Québec says most polling locations are accessible to people with mobility impairment, but some aren’t.

You can check whether your location is accessible online.

If it isn’t, Élections Québec says to contact your returning officer, who will suggest an alternate accessible location where you can vote.

All advance polling stations are accessible.

There are also tools, including a pencil with an easy-grip tip, a braille voting template and a lighted magnifying glass, available to those who ask for them.

Sign language interpretation is also available, but Élections Québec says you need to request it in advance.

More information, including a list of organizations that can provide sign language interpretation in your area, and other services for those with hearing and visual impairments, is available online.

What are the other voting options?

Some post-secondary institutions have polling stations.

Students can consult a list of schools with those stations online.

If you are outside of Quebec, you may be able to vote by mail, but you have to have submitted an application before or at the beginning of the election period.

Nosy Mag reported in September that Christine Fréchette said she had contacted CSIS and wanted a meeting with the prime minister after reports of American efforts to support sovereigntists.

The campaign continues with election day set for Oct. 5.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and CBC News