A by-election will be held on February 23, 2026, in the electoral division of Chicoutimi

QUÉBEC CITY, Jan. 20, 2026 /CNW/ - A by-election will be held on Monday, February 23, 2026, in the electoral division of Chicoutimi. Under an order of the gouvernement du Québec issued today, the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Jean-François Blanchet, is responsible for organizing the election and ensuring its integrity.

Here are some important dates in the election period:

• Broadcasting, publishing or posting election-related advertising prohibited: from January 21 to 27 (election signs are allowed).
• Nomination period: from January 22 to February 7.
• Period for registering or making changes to the list of electors: from February 2 to 19.
• Voting days at the office of the returning officer: February 13, 14, 17, 18 and 19.
• Advance polling days: February 15 and 16.

Working at the election

Anyone who has the right to vote in Québec may apply online to work at this election (in French). You do not have to live in the electoral division to work there.

Young people aged 16 and 17 can also work during this election, if they are Canadian citizens and have been domiciled in Québec for at least six months. This work experience will give these future electors a better understanding of the polling proceedings.

Deadlines for certain voting options

Electors who want to use certain voting options must apply before a certain deadline.

• Electors who want to register to vote outside Québec, by mail, must do so no later than February 4;
• Electors who are unable to move about for health reasons may apply to vote at home until February 9;
• Those wanting to register to vote in their room in a residential facility (rehabilitation centre, hospital centre, palliative care hospice or addiction resource) must do so no later than February 9.

Political contributions

In a general election year, electors can contribute up to $200 per year to each of the authorized political parties and independent candidates. From the date on which the seat of member of the National Assembly (MNA) became vacant until March 25, electors in the Chicoutimi electoral division can also contribute up to an additional $100.

Information about by-elections in Québec and the Chicoutimi electoral division

• The Election Act stipulates that the government must order a by-election when an MNA seat in the Assemblée nationale becomes vacant more than six months before the date of the next general election. The government must issue the order to institute the by-election no later than six months after the vacancy of the seat.
  
  
• The MNA seat in the Chicoutimi electoral division became vacant on September 4, 2025.
  
  
• The estimated cost of a by-election is $800,000, based on the costs of the last three by-elections. Election staff remuneration accounts for more than 50% of election-related expenses.
  
  
• For the October 3, 2022, provincial general election, nearly 46,000 people were registered on the list of electors in the Chicoutimi electoral division. The voter turnout was 68.73%; across Québec, it was 66.15%.
  
  
• The last by-election in Chicoutimi was held on April 11, 2016. Voter turnout was 41.10%. In the August 11, 2025, by-election in the Arthabaska electoral division, the turnout was 59.98%.
  
  
• An information sheet on the Chicoutimi electoral division is available on the Élections Québec website (electionsquebec.qc.ca). This electoral division was created in 1853. Today, it includes the Chicoutimi borough of the city of Saguenay, which corresponds to the former city of Chicoutimi, as it existed in 2002.

About Élections Québec

Élections Québec is a non-partisan and independent institution striving to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of elections and to contribute to the vitality of the Québec democracy.

SOURCE Élections Québec

Source: Media Relations Department, Élections Québec, 418-644-3320 or 1-888-870-3320, [email protected]