With the ongoing Canada Post strike posing a threat to mail services ahead of the municipal elections in Quebec, the Legault government is urging for a temporary ceasefire to ensure timely delivery of crucial voter information. Geneviève Guilbault, Quebec’s new minister of municipal affairs, emphasized the importance of sending voter information cards to millions of voters in the upcoming weeks.
Voter notices are vital in Quebec as they confirm voters’ registration on the electoral list and provide essential details on when and where to vote. Guilbault called on the federal government and the postal workers’ union to collaborate in distributing these cards while highlighting that resolving the broader conflict is the federal government’s responsibility.
Following unsuccessful negotiations over two years, Canada Post decided to end home mail delivery nationwide last Thursday, leading to a nationwide strike by its 55,000 workers. The strike is ongoing as Quebec prepares for municipal elections on Nov. 2, where 8,000 municipal council positions in 1,100 municipalities are at stake.
Guillaume Tremblay, president of the Union des municipalités du Québec, emphasized the necessity of recognizing the delivery of voter notices as an essential service, stressing that voters in Quebec must demonstrate their registration on the electoral list to cast a ballot.
Élections Québec stated that municipalities must mail voter information cards to all voters after the nomination deadline on Oct. 3. Municipalities with over 20,000 residents must also send a reminder card by Oct. 25, specifying the voting location for each voter. Élections Québec is collaborating with the Municipal Affairs Ministry to address the situation and will inform municipalities of further steps as information becomes available.
Élections Montréal is closely monitoring the strike’s impact, maintaining communication with Élections Québec and Canada Post. The city is exploring options to ensure voters can participate in the elections smoothly, including providing assistance through call centers regardless of the Canada Post situation.
In Montreal, two mailings are planned for the municipal election, with the first prompting voters to verify their registration in early October and the second informing them of polling locations and candidates before advance voting. Other cities, like St. John’s, N.L., have postponed elections due to the strike to uphold the integrity of the voting process.