For Your Information

Candidates and Political Parties in October 3 Election

With a few days until the October 3 election, Élections Québec informs that 880 candidates are running in 125 electoral divisions in Quebec. This is a decrease of 60 candidates compared to the 940 candidates in the previous 2018 election. Fourteen independent candidates are on the list. There were 21 in 2018.

At the time the elections were called, 27 political parties were registered, compared to 19 in the 2018 elections. Of these parties, 19 fielded candidates, whereas all parties registered in 2018 fielded candidates.

It is possible for a political party not to run a candidate in a general election without losing its authorization. Elections Québec states that "an authorized political party that does not present a candidate during a general election or a by-election may choose to act as a private intervener. It must then notify the Chief Electoral Officer." The title of private intervener allows for a maximum expenditure of $300 in advertising during the election period.

Of the 880 candidates, 33 per cent are women, an increase of three per cent from 2018. Of the parties in the National Assembly, Québec Solidaire has the highest percentage of female candidates -- 70 out of 125, or 56 per cent. Of the twelve candidates of the Marxist-Leninist Party, 50 per cent are women.

The average age of candidates is 45, as it was in 2018. The 40-49 age group therefore has the highest number of candidates, with 27 per cent of candidates. In 2018, 18 per cent of candidates were aged between 18 and 29, compared to 14 per cent for the October 3 elections.

Note that to be recognized as a parliamentary group, the Standing Orders of the National Assembly provide that "a political party must, at the most recent general election, either have had at least 12 MNAs [Members of the National Assembly] elected or have obtained at least 20 per cent of the votes." It should be noted that in the 2018 election, Québec Solidaire and the Parti Québécois were recognized as parliamentary groups following an agreement with the Legault government, even though they did not meet the requirements.

Here is the list of the 27 political parties authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec and the number of candidates running in the October 3 election.

Alliance pour la famille et les communautés
2 candidates

Bloc Montréal - Team Balarama Holness
13 candidates

Bloc pot, Daniel Blackburn
0 candidates

Climat Québec
54 candidates

Coalition avenir Québec
125 candidates

Démocratie directe
8 candidates

Équipe autonomiste
10 candidates

Unity Is Strength
9 candidates

New Democratic Party of Quebec
0 candidates

Party 51
5 candidates

Parti accès propriété et équité
1 candidate

Québec Animal Party
0 candidates