In this section
Polling station, polling subdivision, and electoral division
In a provincial election, electors vote for a candidate who will represent their electoral division. Each electoral division is divided into several polling subdivisions. A polling subdivision gathers electors living in a particular area. In urban areas, this is usually a neighbourhood of a few houses.
Electors from several neighbouring polling subdivisions vote at the same polling place. In general, several polling stations are set up in each polling place.
On election day, electors from a polling subdivision use the same polling station and place their ballot paper in the same ballot box. During advance polling, however, electors from several polling subdivisions vote in a single polling station. This is also the case for other voting options offered before election day.
Understanding and interpreting reports of results by polling station
Ballot papers are counted on election night. Preliminary results are posted on our website throughout the evening until all ballot papers have been counted. The results are made official a few days later. You can read the Counting of the votes and reporting of election results page to learn more.
We communicate the results for each polling station as soon as possible after an election. We generally wait until the results are official, after the deadline to apply for a recount has passed and the candidates have been declared elected.
Files containing the results by polling station in each electoral division can be found on the webpage concerning each election and on our open data page. We also publish this information in the official election results report, which is tabled in the Assemblée nationale after each election. It is also available on our website, in the Publications and election documents section.
We recommend you keep the following information in mind when interpreting the results of a polling station or analyzing the behaviour of electors from a polling subdivision.
- Polling subdivisions are numbered sequentially within an electoral division. Each polling subdivision can include up to 425 electors. Beyond this limit, a polling subdivision must be split; in this case, a letter is added to the number (for example, 4A and 4B). The territorial boundaries of a polling subdivision may vary from one election to the next, so be cautious when comparing data from several elections.
- On election day, each polling subdivision is assigned to a polling station. In other words, on election day, all electors from a polling subdivision place their ballot paper in the same ballot box.
- On advance polling days, each advance polling station gathers several polling subdivisions. Therefore, electors from different polling subdivisions place their ballot paper in the same ballot box. In the reports of results by polling station, a note indicates which polling subdivisions are grouped together in each ballot box.
- In the weeks leading up to election day, electors can vote at the offices of the returning officers. Moreover, during a general election, polling places are set up in many CEGEPs, universities, and vocational training centres. Electors may also vote in another electoral division or outside the province. In these cases, electors from several polling subdivisions use the same ballot box.
- Since voting is secret and ballot papers are anonymous, it is not possible to break down the results of a polling station according to the polling subdivision of the domicile of the electors who placed their ballot paper in the ballot box.
- Thus, the results of a polling station do not necessarily reflect the vote of electors from the same polling subdivision: only the results of polling stations on election day reflect the vote of electors from the same polling subdivision.
- More and more electors are choosing to vote before election day using various voting options. In 2022, almost 40% of electors who voted did so before election day. In some electoral divisions, this represents more than half of the votes cast.
- In conclusion, the reports of results by polling station cannot be used to isolate the overall results of a polling subdivision. Similarly, an analysis of votes cast on election day provides an incomplete picture of the behaviour of electors in a polling subdivision.
No result for a polling station (combined votes)
The results of two or more polling stations may be combined when they are published. If a ballot box contains fewer than 10 ballot papers or if a single candidate receives all the votes in a ballot box, we combine that polling station’s results with those from another one to protect the secrecy of the vote. The official results will show no votes (0) for the polling station in question. However, these votes have, in fact, been counted. They have simply been included with the results of another polling station from the same electoral division. The report indicates the polling station with which these results have been combined.
Votes cast in educational institutions
During a general election, some educational institutions (CEGEPs, universities, and vocational training centres) host polling stations before election day. Electors vote for one of the candidates in the electoral division of their domicile, which may be different from the division in which the institution is located.
- Votes cast for a candidate in the electoral division where the educational institution is located are counted on the “Vote dans les établissements d’enseignement” line.
- Votes cast for a candidate from another electoral division are counted on the “Vote hors circonscription” line of the report for that electoral division.
Votes cast in residential facilities
Before election day, some residential facilities (CHSLDs, private seniors’ residences, etc.) host a polling station in their common area for electors residing there. Polling subdivision numbers (500, 501, 502, etc.) are assigned to these residential facilities.
In the reports of results by polling station, all votes cast in the residential facilities of an electoral division are grouped together under the “Vote en installation d’hébergement” line.
Electors living in a residential facility may also choose to vote on election day. They are then directed to a nearby polling place. The report indicates which polling station these electors voted in.
List of abbreviations used in the reports of results by polling station
- V.: Polling subdivision identification number
- É.I.: Number of registered voters
- V.: Number of valid ballots
- R.: Number of rejected ballots
- BVO: Ballots cast on election day
- BVA: Ballots cast during advance polling
- BVDS: Ballots cast at the returning officer’s office
- VHC: Ballots cast in another electoral division
The name of a local municipality and some territories is sometimes followed by an abbreviation that refers to its legal status. Here is a list of these abbreviations and their meanings.
- CT: Township
- CU: United townships
- EI: Indian settlement
- GR: Regional government
- M: Municipality
- NO: Non-organized territory
- P: Parish
- RI: Indian reserve
- TC: Cree reserve lands
- TI: Inuit reserve lands
- TK: Naskapi reserve lands
- V: City
- VC: Cree village
- VK: Naskapi village
- VL: Village
- VN: Northern village