2026 Provincial election: 908 nominations accepted

QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — Élections Québec announces that 908 nominations have been accepted in Québec’s 127 electoral divisions. The nomination period ended today at 2:00 p.m.

There are seven candidates per electoral division, on average. The electoral division of Verdun has the highest number: 13 candidates will be on the ballot paper.

The Élections Québec website will publish statistics on candidates.

During the 2022 general election, 880 candidates ran for office.

Number of nominations by authorized political party

Here is the number of candidates per authorized political party.

• Bloc pot: 5
• Climat Québec: 52
• Démocratie directe: 28
• Équipe autonomiste: 8
• Équipe Christine Fréchette – Coalition avenir Québec: 127
• Osons Québec: 2
• Parti accès propriété et équité –­ Équipe Québec debout: 6
• Parti canadien du Québec/Canadian Party of Québec: 29
• Parti communiste du Québec: 10
• Parti conservateur du Québec: 127
• Parti culinaire du Québec: 4
• Parti libéral du Québec/Quebec Liberal Party: 127
• Parti libertarien du Québec: 3
• Parti marxiste-léniniste du Québec: 12
• Parti nul: 38
• Parti populaire du Québec: 0
• Parti québécois: 127
• Parti vert du Québec/Green Party of Québec: 37
• Présence Québec: 18
• Québec innovant: 2
• Québec solidaire: 127

Under a new provision of the Election Act, if a party nominates fewer than two candidates in a general election, it loses its authorization. In this context, the Chief Electoral Officer is withdrawing the authorization of the Parti populaire du Québec. This new measure aims to ensure the electoral and political orientation of political parties; it came into force on July 1. In the 2022 provincial election, a third of authorized parties did not nominate any candidates.

Independent candidates

In addition to candidates from political parties, there are 19 independent candidates across Québec. There were 14 during the 2022 general election.

Nomination per age group

The average age of candidates is 47 years old. In the 2022 and 2018 elections, it was 45 years old. The highest number of nominations is found among people aged 40 to 49: 28% of candidates fall into this category.

Number and percentage of nominations per age group

Female candidates

There will be 386 female candidates in these elections. Thus, women represent 43% of candidacies. This percentage is the same as that of the October 3, 2022, election.

Number and percentage of female candidates within parties represented in the Assemblée nationale

Find out about the candidates in your electoral division

The list of candidates is available on the Élections Québec website. At the end of September, electors will receive a reminder card by mail. On this card, electors will find the names of candidates in their electoral division and the address of their polling place on election day.

The Élections Québec website offers advice and food for thought for people who want to make an informed decision when voting.

About Élections Québec

Élections Québec is a neutral and independent agency. Its mission is to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of elections, and to contribute to the vitality of Québec democracy. 

In practical terms, the institution organizes provincial elections in cooperation with the returning officers of the 127 electoral divisions. In addition, it designs and offers several democracy education programs; it ensures compliance with political financing rules; and it acts as a public prosecutor to ensure compliance with Québec’s electoral laws.

SOURCE Élections Québec