Advance polling in Terrebonne by-election begins Sunday

A person hands over his ballot paper during the Quebec provincial election on Oct. 3, 2022 in Montreal. Advance voting in Terrebonne begins this Sunday and continues on Monday for voters in the riding who must elect their new MNA to the National Assembly. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Advance voting in Terrebonne begins this Sunday and will continue Monday for voters in the riding who must elect their new member of the National Assembly (MNA).

Élections Québec says polling stations will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both voting days.

Additional voting days will also be available at the returning officer’s office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The election authority notes that voting will also take place in long-term care centres (CHSLDs), private seniors’ residences, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, palliative care homes, and addiction treatment facilities.

Voters unable to travel due to health reasons will have the option to vote from home.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former “super minister” Pierre Fitzgibbon last December.

The vote will take place on Monday, March 17, in a riding with 61,400 registered voters.

Nine candidates have been authorized to run. The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), which won the last election with 49.44 per cent of the vote, is fielding Alex Gagné.

Catherine Gentilcore is running for the Parti Québécois (PQ), Virginie Bouchard is the Liberal candidate, and Nadia Poirier is representing Québec solidaire.

The Conservative banner will be carried by Ange Claude Bigilimana.

Candidates from smaller parties are also in the race, including Benoit Beauchamp of Climat Québec, Eric Bernier of the Union nationale, Shawn Lalande McLean of the Parti accès propriété et équité, and Jean-Louis Thémis of the Parti culinaire du Québec.

As was the case in Jean-Talon in 2023, the by-election in Terrebonne could have significant repercussions at the National Assembly.

Between 1976 and 2018, Terrebonne was a PQ stronghold, except for a brief period from 2007 to 2008 when the riding was represented by Mario Dumont’s Action démocratique du Québec.

However, support for the government has been slipping in the North Shore riding in favour of the PQ.

Despite the emerging two-way race, the Liberals, Québec solidaire, and the Conservatives hope to make their voices heard in the contest.

— With files from Thomas Laberge