A general election begins today for Québec’s nine English-language school boards. More than 295,000 people are currently entered on the lists of electors and will be able to vote on November 3. They will elect the chair of their school board and the commissioner of their school electoral division.
Important dates in the election period
- September 20: start of the election period
- September 24 to 29: filing of nomination papers
- October 15: last day to enter or modify an entry on the list of electors
- October 27: advance polling from 12 to 8 p.m.
- November 3: Election Day, voting from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If only one person is running for a position, they will be declared elected at the end of the nomination period. The official proclamation of their election will still take place after the election period.
Who can vote in this election?
Only people entered on the list of electors of an English-language school board can vote in this election. Parents of children who attend or have graduated from a school in an English-language school board will be eligible to vote. However, they have to make sure they are entered on the list of electors of their school board.
People who have no children attending a school in a French school service centre also have the right to vote. They may request to be entered on the list of electors of the English-language school board where they reside by contacting the returning officer.
People can find the school board that covers the territory where they are domiciled on the Élections Québec website.
Confirm an entry on the list of electors
In the first few weeks of October, electors entered on the list of electors will receive a notice of entry by mail. No notice will be sent if the two positions for which the elector may vote have been filled unopposed at the end of the nomination period.
A person wishing to be entered on the list of electors or make a change of address must appear before the board of revisors of their school board. Each school board can provide more information on this subject.
School board election data
- The last general English-language school board election was held on September 26, 2021. This election was a resumption of the one supposed to be held on November 1, 2020, but was suspended after the nomination period due to the COVID‑19 pandemic. In 2020, many positions on the councils of commissioners were filled unopposed. In 2021, 17 seats were filled in 8 English-language school boards.
- There is no overall voter turnout for the 2021 election, since most of the chair seats were filled unopposed. The overall voter turnout is calculated based on the number of people who vote to elect the chairs of the councils of commissioners. Voter turnout for the 2014 election was 16.88%.
- A map of the territories of school service centres and school boards in Québec is available on the Données Québec website (in French only). For the purposes of electing commissioners, there are currently 9 to 12 electoral divisions in the territories of English-language school boards.
About Élections Québec
Élections Québec is an impartial and independent institution striving to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of elections and to contribute to the vitality of Québec democracy. In addition to organizing provincial elections, Élections Québec supports municipalities and English-language school boards in organizing their elections. The institution also oversees the application of political financing rules at all elected levels and acts as a public prosecutor to ensure compliance with Québec electoral legislation.
