School elections

The Act respecting school elections applies to all English-language school boards administered by a council of commissioners and governs, among other things, how elections by English school boards are held and conducted.

An election must be held every four years, on the first Sunday in November. However, a school board must hold a partial election when one or more commissioner seats are vacant.

The last school election was held on November 3, 2024.

The Minister of Education is responsible for the application of the Act respecting school elections. The Minister also has the right to authorize a school board to divide its territory into a different number of electoral divisions than that set out in the Act. The Minister may also, according to certain criteria, order the recommencement of proceedings or appoint an eligible person to the office in question under certain conditions and to make the required appointments upon the recommendations of the director general of the school board.

In light of its expertise with elections and its role as the holder of the permanent list of electors, Élections Québec also has certain responsibilities regarding this Act.

As an impartial, independent institution that reports to the National Assembly, it assists the returning officer and can provide recommendations or instructions concerning the exercise of their duties. Élections Québec may investigate the electoral proceedings, the proceedings after the close of a poll, the electoral code of ethics and the financing of candidates as well as the control of election expenses. Under this Act, they must also make public certain information, reports and documents.

The National Assembly appoints three members to this commission, and the chief electoral officer is its president. Its mission is to draw up the electoral map of Québec and, where necessary, those of the municipalities and English-language school boards. It may hold public consultation hearings at the request of a school board’s electorate and intervene in cases where there is a disagreement with the council about the electoral divisions of the school board’s territory.

For further information or to get involved in a school election, please visit your local English-language school board’s website.

If you have any questions about school elections, please reach out to the Ministère de l'Éducation.