ÉLECTIONS QUÉBEC SENT KEY ELECTORAL INFORMATION IN FRENCH ONLY

For the first time in a general election, documents including the election guide, notice of entry, and reminder card were to be provided in French only. English-language information was instead to be accessible through a QR code or upon request, with eligible citizens required to confirm their eligibility to receive information in English.

These requirements created unnecessary barriers to accessing essential electoral information and risked disproportionately affecting seniors and other vulnerable citizens who faced greater challenges navigating them.

TALQ wrote to Quebec’s Chief Electoral Officer, Jean-François Blanchet, calling on Élections Québec to reverse its decision to provide important electoral information to citizens by mail in French only during the provincial election and to ensure that essential information was available in both French and English.

“This is fundamentally an issue of democratic participation, not language politics,” said Eva Ludvig, President of TALQ. “TALQ fully recognizes the importance of French as Quebec’s official language. But our electoral system should maximize participation, not put additional barriers in the way of voters.”

Bilingual electoral information had been provided directly to citizens in previous Quebec general elections and referenda. TALQ saw no reason to abandon that practice. The right to vote is fundamental to democracy, and TALQ maintained that the electoral process should promote participation while ensuring fairness, accessibility, and transparency.

“Élections Québec has a responsibility to administer elections with integrity and reliability and to contribute to the vitality of Quebec democracy,” Ludvig said. “Providing essential electoral information in both French and English supports that responsibility and gives citizens the information they need to participate fully.”

TALQ urged Élections Québec to reverse course and ensure that essential electoral information was provided in both French and English, without requiring citizens to navigate extra steps to access it.

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