Canadian Party of Quebec Calls for English-Language Voting Information to Remain Available by Mail

MONTREAL, QUEBEC – The Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ) is calling on Élections Québec to ensure that English-speaking voters can continue to receive essential election information in English by mail, following the announcement that mailed information for the 2026 Quebec election will be provided in French only.

Élections Québec announced yesterday that, for the first time in a provincial general election, information documents mailed to Quebec voters will be distributed only in French. Previously, Élections Québec provided voting information in both French and English. English-language information will now be made available online, with voters directed to it through a QR code included in the French-language documents.

The Canadian Party of Quebec believes that requiring English-speaking voters to rely on a smartphone, QR code or Internet access to obtain important information about exercising their democratic rights creates an unnecessary barrier to participation.

“Voting is one of the most fundamental rights in a democracy, and information about how, when and where to exercise that right should be readily accessible to every voter,” said party leader Joseph Cianflone, noting that Alberta makes voting information available in 27 different languages to make voting more accessible. “English-speaking Quebecers should not have to scan a QR code and go online simply to obtain election information in their own language.”

Élections Québec mails voters a provincial election guide and notice of entry, followed later in the campaign by a reminder card. These documents provide important information including voting options, advance polling locations, election-day polling locations and the candidates running in each electoral division.

“Not everyone has a smartphone. Not everyone is comfortable using QR codes, and not everyone has reliable access to the Internet,” said Canadian Party of Quebec candidate Will Twolan. “That’s particularly important for seniors and other voters who may depend on printed information. A change that makes essential voting information less accessible to part of the electorate risks suppressing voter participation, regardless of whether that is its intention.”

Élections Québec has stated that it must now give priority to French in its communications as a result of amendments to the Charter of the French Language. The Canadian Party of Quebec believes this situation demonstrates the broader consequences of Quebec's language legislation when language policy is allowed to take precedence over practical access to public services and democratic participation.

“This is not about diminishing the place of French in Quebec,” Cianflone said. “It is about ensuring that language policy does not interfere with the ability of citizens to participate fully in the democratic process. Protecting French and providing essential voting information in English are perfectly compatible objectives.”

The party is calling on Élections Québec to return to its previous practice of providing information in both French and English, and on the Quebec government to ensure that the law allows it to do so. At the very least, voters who require English-language election information must have a practical way to receive it in printed form without having to rely on digital access.

“A QR code can be a useful way to provide additional information, but it is not a substitute for providing essential voting information clearly and directly in printed form,” Twolan said. “Élections Québec has an important responsibility to make voting accessible to all electors, and accessibility means removing barriers to democratic participation, not creating new ones. No Quebecer should face an unnecessary barrier to understanding when, where and how to vote because of the language they speak or their access to technology. 

“Directing voters to a QR code where they previously received information in their own language on paper is a step backward for accessibility, not a step forward.”

The Canadian Party of Quebec is contesting the October 5 Quebec election on a platform centred on Canadian unity, individual and minority rights, economic opportunity, and a more inclusive approach to Quebec politics.