Quebec talking with chief electoral officer over mailing of French-only voter info: premier
Christine Fréchette could not say if those discussions involve reversing Élections Québec's decision
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette says her government is in talks with Quebec's chief electoral officer to figure out next steps after Élections Québec announced it was mailing voter information documents only in French to comply with language laws.
Tuesday's announcement raised concerns over accessibility to the voting process among groups advocating for anglophones and allophones in the province.
During a news conference on the campaign trail Wednesday morning, it was unclear what Fréchette's position on the issue is or whether the discussions could lead to a reversal of Élections Québec's decision.
"We need to look at the exact responsabilities we have and we will respect these rules," she said. "These discussions are taking place today."
On Tuesday, Élections Québec said it had tried to convince the government that it should be able to send basic voting information in English and in French during the election period but to no avail.
It said its decision to mail documents to voters only in French was made to comply with the French Language Charter, also known as Bill 96. The law makes French the sole language of communication for public institutions.
Élections Québec said information in English will be made available online. Voters can access it via QR codes included in the French physical documents or by visiting the agency's website.
This marks the first time the agency mails voter information documents in French only during a general election.
Reactions from the campaign trail
Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal reacted to Élections Québec's announcement while on the campaign trail, pointing out that not everyone has internet access or is tech savvy.
"This isn't how we're going to protect French, by penalizing citizens, I'm thinking in particular of seniors who also wish to exercise their right to vote," she said Wednesday.
The leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Charles Milliard, said he shared Élections Québec's concerns, adding that ''we all share the mission of Élections Québec which is to make sure that as many Quebecers as possible will actually vote on Oct. 5."
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, for his part, said he's against institutional bilingualism in the province but said that in practice, it's possible that laws passed by the CAQ government, which he says often contained last-minute revisions, ultimately end up being flawed.
"The rule shouldn't be that everything is bilingual," he said. "But when it comes down to fundamental rights such as voting, there needs to be a mechanism through which anglophones can get the information in English."
The leader of the Quebec Conservative Party, Éric Duhaime, shared his thoughts on Tuesday. He emphasized the fact that Élections Québec is an independent body.
"We don't want to politicize their decisions," he said. "That being said, anglo-Quebecers have historical rights. I think all Quebecers are ready to recognize that and we want to make sure that those who need it will be able to have the services provided to them."
He noted that seems to be the case given Élections Québec said some people exempted by Bill 96 can request information and services in English.
The agency has since clarified, however, that it does not have capacity to provide physical documents in English to those people due to the short electoral period.
Civil liberties group speaks out
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is urging the Quebec government to reverse course. In a statement, the group said laws that limit certain voters' access to relevant information and make their participation more difficult put democratic rights at stake.
“The right to vote is a cornerstone of a democratic society,” said Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, the group’s Quebec spokesperson. “This constitutional right — which is not subject to the notwithstanding clause — protects voters’ ability to participate meaningfully in the electoral process.”
Accommodations, like a QR code providing online access to English information and certain statutory exceptions, are insufficient, the statement said.
“QR codes present accessibility challenges for certain groups, particularly seniors, people with low digital literacy, and those who do not have easy access to a smartphone or the internet,” said Bussières McNicoll.
The statutory exceptions are impractical, she added, as they place the burden on eligible voters to submit a request to Élections Québec, which then has to process the request and provide the necessary documents, all before Election Day.
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With files from Mélissa François, Cathy Senay, Sharon Yonan-Renold, Kwabena Oduro and Natalia Weichsel