Taking the time to vote is important in any election.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sacred democratic duty, a chance to have your say and an opportunity to remind elected officials who they really work for.<\/p>\n
High-minded prinicples aside, there are also many concrete reasons to vote: for a candidate, a leader or a party; for a policy, an idea, or a vision; for change; for stability; for a brighter future; for something or against something.<\/p>\n
As Quebecers head to the polls Monday, the stakes are high. The outcome of the 2026 general election could set in motion a chain reaction that leads to another sovereignty referendum.<\/p>\n
The Parti Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois has been leading in opinion polls<\/a>. PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has promised a referendum in a first mandate<\/a>, but only once U.S. President Donald Trump is set to leave office in 2029<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, a majority of Quebecers \u2014 roughly 70 per cent \u2014 have told pollsters they don\u2019t want a referendum, and only about 30 per cent say they would vote Yes to separate if one were held.<\/p>\n More recent surveys also show nearly half of Quebecers doubt that St-Pierre Plamondon will actually hold a referendum, and only 14 per cent think the province would vote for independence.<\/a><\/p>\n A lot of people are making a lot of assumptions and seem willing to cast a ballot for a person promising to do something they don\u2019t want.<\/p>\n So federalists who want Quebec to stay in Canada and nationalists who don\u2019t think this is the right moment to pursue sovereignty have an interest in showing up to vote Monday. Participation is crucial for the future trajectory of both Quebec and Canada.<\/p>\n English-speaking Quebecers also have renewed impetus to vote as their democratic rights are being compromised under Bill 96, the law to strengthen the French language. <\/p>\n For the first time, \u00c9lections Qu\u00e9bec sent out voter information cards in French only<\/a> earlier in the campaign, with only a QR code pointing to instructions online in English. The independent agency said it sought an exemption to send out these details in both languages, but was denied by the government.<\/p>\n Members of the English-speaking community challenged the move in court<\/a>, arguing the rights of anglophones were being infringed \u2014 particularly seniors who are less familiar with technology and who tend to be less at ease in French. A judge ruled \u00c9lections Qu\u00e9bec must send out subsequent mailings in both language<\/a>s. But the government is appealing the decision.<\/a> Clearly this won\u2019t be sorted till after the election. <\/p>\n Adding insult to injury, \u00c9lections Qu\u00e9bec also directed polling station workers to address voters only in French<\/a>, unless they are Indigenous or eligible for English education. <\/p>\n It\u2019s yet another barrier to democratic participation and another example of anglos being treated as second-class citizens. But it shouldn\u2019t be a deterrent to voting \u2014 quite the opposite, in fact.<\/p>\n