Press Release no. 15 - April 7, 2014 general election - 18 273 Quebecers staying in 117 countries are registered to "vote outside Québec"

QUEBEC CITY, March 26, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Chief Electoral Officer of Québec, Jacques Drouin, wishes to announce that 18 273 electors who are temporarily absent from Québec have registered for postal voting for the April 7, 2014 general election. These electors are either certain to be staying or expect to be staying in 117 countries, on every continent, on polling day. The total of 18 273 electors registered to "vote outside Québec" is the highest ever recorded in the general elections over the past 25 years. The previous "record" was 16 606 registered electors for the November 30, 1998 general election. 13 435 electors had finally exercised their right to vote at this election.

For this election most Quebecers intending to avail themselves of postal voting are in Florida, with more than 13 600 registered electors (74% of the total). 624 registered electors could vote from France and 238 from United Kingdom. Incidentally in three electoral divisions, there are over 400 such electors with the most in Bertrand, north of Montréal (515), in Westmount – St-Louis (458) and Louis Hébert, in the city of Québec (406).

The new method of registration online was the most used by the electors: 42% demands were channelled in that way (more than 7 600), the others means being e-mail (28 %), fax (22%) and mail (8%).

The operation involving the sending out of ballot papers began on the day the writ to call the election was issued, i.e. March 5. After receiving their ballot paper, electors must complete it by indicating the surname and given name of the candidate of their choice for the electoral division of their most recent domicile in Québec. They may also indicate the name of the political party of their chosen candidate.  

The list of candidates sent to them, will also be available on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, at www.monvote.qc.ca. Electors will then return their ballot paper to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, making sure that it is received at the latest by Tuesday, September 4, at 8:00 p.m., when Québec's polling stations close. Only ballot papers received by that time and date will be counted.

After the polling stations close on polling day, the deputy returning officer, assisted by the poll clerk, will begin to count the votes received in the presence of representatives appointed by the authorized parties. Since electors vote for the candidate from the electoral division of their domicile before their departure from Québec, the results will then be transmitted to the returning officers concerned.

Tables presenting the number of electors registered to "vote outside Québec" by electoral division and for each country are available on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, at the address : http://monvote.qc.ca/en/stat_vhq.asp.

SOURCE: Directeur général des élections

Dens Don, Information Officer, 418-644-3320 or 1-888-870-3320, [email protected]