---What to know about this year’s municipal election

With municipal election season fast approaching, the Québec Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) has unveiled the schedule with all the important dates to know leading up to November 7. Planning to officially kick off the election no later than September 17, the MAMH says property owners will have until October 3 to submit a letter to the city requesting to register to vote.

Electoral candidates will be able to file their nominations until October 1 at 4:30 pm. Between October 16 and 26, or 28 if necessary, people will be able to submit requests to review the city’s voting list. People recommended or ordered to be isolated by public health authorities can submit absentee ballots starting on October 17. The deadline to submit absentee ballots to the electoral officer is October 28. Mandatory advance polling day is set to be on October 31. 

Advance polling days at the option of the electoral officer are October 29, 30, November 1, and November 6, between 9:30 am and 8 pm.  Potential special voting days at the electoral returning office are set to be October 29 and November 1, and November 3. November 7, between 9:30 am and 8 pm, is election day.  The deadline to request a recount will be November 11.

Officials with no opposed candidates should be announced on October 1, starting at 4:30 pm. Those elected at the polls should be announced on November 12, after the recount request deadline. People will have until 30 days after the candidates are announced to legally challenge the election. The set dates were established according to the province’s law on elections and referendums in municipalities and a by-law amending certain municipal functions to allow the 2021 municipal elections to take place despite the pandemic.