Élections Québec Limits English Service at Polling Stations
Élections Québec has instructed election workers to begin interactions with voters in French and to provide service in English only in specific circumstances, according to media reports ahead of Quebec’s October 5 provincial election. The directive allows workers to continue in English if a voter declares that they are eligible to receive English-language education in Quebec or are Indigenous. Voters are not required to provide proof, with the process relying on their declaration.
The instructions stem from provisions of Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, including changes adopted by the CAQ government under Bill 96 in 2022, which govern when public bodies may communicate in a language other than French. Élections Québec, a neutral and independent institution, says it is required to comply with these provisions.
The directive has raised concerns about whether some voters who are more comfortable communicating in English could face additional barriers when seeking assistance at polling stations. TALQ Director General Sylvia Martin-Laforge told CityNews: “It’s a barrier to voting. Some people might not even want to go and vote because of this.”
For TALQ, the issue goes beyond the language in which an interaction takes place. Voting is a constitutionally protected democratic right under Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and TALQ maintains that election administration should ensure every eligible voter can understand the information and assistance necessary to participate meaningfully in the electoral process. Requiring someone seeking assistance in English to first establish that they fall within a permitted category risks creating an additional barrier at the polls.
The instructions come amid an ongoing court challenge over the application of Quebec’s language legislation to electoral information. After election guides and notices of entry had already been mailed in French only, Quebec Superior Court granted interim injunctive relief requiring the upcoming reminder cards to be prepared and mailed in both French and English. The Court identified a risk of serious and irreparable prejudice to Quebecers who do not understand French. The order has since been extended through election day, while the underlying constitutional case remains before the courts.
Against that backdrop, the new polling-station instructions raise a related concern for TALQ: whether the application of the CAQ government’s language legislation is creating unnecessary barriers to the exercise of constitutionally protected democratic rights. The Quebec government is seeking leave to appeal the court order, while election workers are being instructed to provide service in English only when a voter declares that they meet one of the permitted exceptions.
TALQ is calling for meaningful and equitable access to the information and assistance voters need to exercise their right to vote. Protecting and promoting French and ensuring that every eligible Quebecer can participate fully and confidently in an election should not be mutually exclusive.
TALQ’S LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
Mr. Jean-François Roberge
Minister of the French Language
Minister Responsible for Democratic Institutions
By email: ministre@mlf.gouv.qc.ca; Jean-Francois.Roberge.CHMB@assnat.qc.ca
Subject: Access to Electoral Services in English
September 25, 2026
Dear Minister,
As President of TALQ, an organization that works to support the vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking community in a proudly French Quebec, I am writing to express our serious concern following recent reports that Élections Québec has instructed election workers to communicate with voters in English only if they declare that they are eligible for English-language education or are members of Indigenous communities.
According to these reports, election workers have been provided with specific questions to determine whether a voter may receive assistance in English. Otherwise, they are to inform the voter that the conversation must continue in French.
Whatever the requirements of the Charter of the French Language, the administration of an election should be guided first and foremost by the principle that every eligible voter must be able to participate fully in the electoral process, without unnecessary barriers. The right to vote is a fundamental democratic right. The electoral process should not become a place where additional barriers are placed in the way of exercising that right.
We recognize that Élections Québec must operate within the applicable legislative framework. However, requiring voters to establish their eligibility to communicate in English risks creating confusion and discouraging participation. Élections Québec has itself confirmed that it relies on the voter’s declaration and that no documentary proof is required. We therefore question the necessity of this series of questions.
We ask that you work with Élections Québec to eliminate this procedure and instead place trust in the good faith and common sense of Quebec voters. A person who asks to communicate in English with an election worker should not have to pass an eligibility test before being able to understand the process and participate fully in the vote.
These developments are particularly concerning in light of the recent decisions by Justice Sylvain Lussier of the Quebec Superior Court regarding access to electoral information in English. On September 16, Justice Lussier ordered Élections Québec to prepare voter reminder cards in French and English, recognizing the serious risk of prejudice to Quebecers who do not understand French. On September 21, he extended that order until election day and ordered Élections Québec to mail the bilingual cards once they had been prepared.
Although these orders concern electoral information rather than interactions with election workers, they point to the same fundamental principle: barriers that may impede a voter’s meaningful participation in an election must be taken seriously. It is difficult to reconcile this principle with requiring a voter to establish their eligibility before being able to communicate in English with an election worker.
With advance voting beginning this weekend, there is little time to address these concerns. We therefore ask that you clarify, with Élections Québec and with respect for its institutional independence, the instructions provided to election workers and ensure that voters seeking assistance in English can receive it without unnecessary barriers at polling stations.
The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy. Its exercise should be facilitated, not complicated, by the institutions responsible for administering our elections. We trust that you share our commitment to ensuring that every eligible Quebecer can participate in this election with confidence and dignity.
Yours respectfully,
Eva Ludvig
President
cc: Ms. Christine Fréchette, Premier of Quebec
Mr. Jean-François Blanchet, Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec