Élections Québec directs polling staff to avoid speaking English with voters

It demonstrates that it is willing to erect barriers to democratic participation, TALQ says

Élections Québec is telling polling staff to only speak French with voters unless they have a right to English education or are Indigenous.

The news comes as Quebec is seeking leave to appeal a court ruling on French-only election voter cards.

“It’s not our decision; we must respect the law,” Élections Québec spokesperson Julie St-Arnaud-Drolet said in an email statement about the directive to staff, pointing to Quebec’s Charter of the French Language. “We rely on the person’s statement and do not require any certification or other proof.”

In the Élections Québec directive to polling staff, one section explains what to do if the voter speaks a language other than French.