Quebec’s provincial election campaign has entered its final week, with voters beginning to cast their ballots early as party leaders make their final appeals ahead of election day on October 5, 2026.
Monday marks the second and final day of advance polling, with voting stations open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters who cast ballots over the weekend cited health care, the economy, language and the environment among the issues influencing their decisions.
The campaign has also been marked by discussion of possible U.S. interference in Quebec’s election, after Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette raised concerns that American officials could support the sovereigntist Parti Québécois in an effort to destabilize Canada.
Rivals have questioned those claims. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said his party had not been contacted by American officials and that he had seen no evidence of such interference. Federal officials have similarly said they have not seen proof, while indicating that the allegations are being taken seriously.
The election campaign is taking place against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, including the continuing Canada-U.S. trade conflict. Trump’s tariff policies have affected Quebec industries and have become a recurring issue on the provincial campaign trail.
Other major campaign issues include the cost of living, housing, public services, health care and immigration. A recent Leger survey found that cost of living and housing were the top issues cited by respondents, followed by improving public services.
With early voting underway and election day less than a week away, the parties are entering the final stage of campaigning, with leaders expected to focus heavily on undecided voters and their key policy messages.
Quebecers will head to the polls on October 5, when voters will choose representatives for the province’s National Assembly.
Swifteradio.com
