Quebec’s Municipal Elections Marked by Delays and Last-Minute Drama
As the polls across Quebec prepare to close, the 2025 municipal elections have unfolded with their fair share of tension, excitement, and a few unexpected hiccups. From Gatineau to Montreal, thousands of voters have been heading to the polls to choose their mayors and councillors, while election officials scramble to handle a handful of logistical and technical issues.
In Gatineau, a major glitch was reported early in the day. According to city officials, an external computer system malfunctioned at several voting locations, even though preliminary tests had been carried out before the polls opened. The issue forced election workers to switch to manual voting procedures, a move that temporarily slowed down the process but ensured that no voter was turned away. Because of these delays, polling stations in Gatineau were authorized to remain open until 8:30 p.m. local time. Officials later confirmed that the situation was “under control,” reassuring voters that their ballots would still be counted properly.
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Meanwhile, Laval faced a different kind of challenge. A surprising number of election staff members—137 out of more than 1,800—did not show up for duty on Sunday morning. This led to delays at 23 polling stations across 16 different locations. Fortunately, within about 30 minutes, most of these sites were operational again, and voting resumed without further disruption.
Montrealers weren’t spared either. Some voters in the city reported confusion after being directed to the wrong polling locations by the official Élections Montréal website. One frustrated voter even walked two kilometers to the site listed online, only to discover it wasn’t his assigned station. The problem stemmed from a website bug that provided inconsistent results when voters entered their addresses. The issue was quickly identified and fixed, and citizens were advised to confirm their polling stations either by phone or by visiting one of the official service points.
Despite these setbacks, voter participation in several regions has been encouraging. Cities like Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, and Shawinigan have already reported turnout rates higher than those of the 2021 elections. Across Quebec, more than 4,600 municipal positions have already been filled—many without opposition—while over 2,700 races remain tightly contested as the final ballots are being cast.
As the clock ticks down and the voting booths close, all eyes are now on the results. Quebecers are eager to see who will lead their towns and cities for the next term, and Radio-Canada is set to broadcast the outcomes live, even offering coverage in Quebec Sign Language. It’s been a day of democracy in motion—sometimes messy, sometimes delayed, but always spirited, reflecting the very heart of civic participation in Quebec.
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