skip to content
Veille électorale
sign in

glossary

the words of politics, in plain language

riding, election, term… electoral vocabulary can seem opaque. here is what each word means, without jargon.

circonscription (riding)
a territory that elects a single person to represent it in the Assemblée nationale. Québec has 127 of them for 2026 — two more than in 2022, as the map was redrawn. it is sometimes called a « comté » (county); it is the same thing.
you vote for a candidate in YOUR riding, not for a party leader across Québec.
candidat, candidate (candidate)
a person who runs to be elected as a member in a riding. they may represent a party, or be independent.
député, députée (member of the National Assembly)
the person elected in a riding to sit in the Assemblée nationale, vote on laws and represent its population.
Assemblée nationale (National Assembly)
the parliament of Québec: 127 members (for 2026) who pass laws and the budget, and hold the government to account.
chef de parti / porte-parole (party leader / spokesperson)
the person who leads a party. most parties speak of a « chef » (leader); Québec solidaire uses « porte-parole » (spokesperson). the leader is also a candidate in a riding.
plateforme électorale (election platform)
the document where a party sets out what it proposes to do if elected, theme by theme.
it is the raw material of the compare tool: positions are drawn from it, with the source.
promesse électorale (election promise)
a specific commitment made by a party during the campaign. after the election, one can track whether it is fulfilled, in progress, abandoned, and so on.
émission des brefs (issuing of the writs)
the official act that triggers the election and opens the « période électorale » (election period). candidacies become official afterward.
période électorale (election period)
the official campaign, between the issuing of the writs and voting day. strict rules govern spending and advertising during this window.
scrutin (the vote)
the vote itself. the Québec general election takes place on October 5, 2026.
vote par anticipation (advance polling)
the option to vote before the official day, on set dates, if it suits you better.
liste électorale (electoral list)
the register of people entitled to vote. you must be on it to vote; you can check and correct your registration.
not registered = no vote on election day. checking early avoids bad surprises.
mode de scrutin (voting system — first-past-the-post)
in each riding, the person who gets the MOST votes wins, even without an absolute majority. this is the system used in Québec.
that is why a party can win many seats without having the most votes overall: it plays out riding by riding.
gouvernement majoritaire / minoritaire (majority / minority government)
majority: the governing party holds more than half the seats and can govern alone. minority: it holds fewer and must obtain the support of other parties to pass its laws.
projet de loi (bill)
a text proposed to the Assemblée nationale. after debate, votes and stages, it can become a law.
caucus (caucus)
all the members of a same party, who meet to coordinate their positions.
mandat (term)
the period during which a government governs between two elections (about four years).
DGEQ / Élections Québec (Elections Québec)
the Directeur général des élections du Québec (Chief Electoral Officer): the independent body that runs elections, maintains the electoral list and enforces the rules. it is the official source.

how to vote, step by step →