By-election in the Chicoutimi electoral division: electors called to the polls

QUÉBEC CITY, Feb. 20, 2026 /CNW/ - The Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Jean-François Blanchet, invites the electors of the Chicoutimi electoral division to vote in large numbers on Monday, February 23, between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Already, preliminary data indicates that 5,343 people (11.67% of electors) have voted at advance polls.

Exercise the right to vote

Seventeen polling locations will be open on election day. To find out where to go, Chicoutimi electors can consult the yellow card they received in the mail. The information is also available on the Élections Québec website and by telephone, at 1-888-ELECTION (1-888-353-2846). 

To vote, electors must present an identity document. The health insurance card, driver's licence and Canadian passport are part of the accepted identification documents. The yellow card that the electors received by mail is not an identification document. However, they can bring it with them at the polling location, so that election officers can direct them to the right place more quickly.

Accessibility to the vote
Sixteen of the seventeen polling places meet all of the accessibility evaluation criteria. Mobility impaired persons can check whether their polling location is accessible on the yellow card they received by mail. They can also check the accessibility criteria of their polling location on the Élections Québec website. If necessary, they may contact the returning officer to vote at another location.

Many measures facilitate the exercise of the right to vote by all electors.

Four hours to vote
On election day, employers must allow their employees who have the right to vote in the Chicoutimi electoral division to go to the polls. If they so request, their employer must grant them at least four hours to vote between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., i.e., during the opening hours of polling stations.  

Reporting of election results

On February 23, the election results will be reported on the Élections Québec website after polling locations close. They will be updated as ballot papers are counted. The results released on election night are preliminary; the official results will be announced a few days later, following the addition of the votes and once the deadline to apply for a judicial recount has passed.

Small polling stations

At all polling locations, children will be able to vote at a small polling station specially designed for them. They will be able to experience democracy in a fun and concrete way by answering the question What's most important for you? They will be offered four answer choices:

a)      Helping others
b)      Being respected
c)       Express your ideas
d)      Being different

The small polling station is designed to stimulate family discussion and interest in voting and democracy. This activity is offered in French only. The results for small polling stations will be posted on the Élections Québec website a few days after the election.

Chicoutimi electoral division

• For the October 3, 2022, provincial general election, more than 45,800 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%. 
• For this by-election, 45,778 people are eligible to vote and there are seven candidates.

About Élections Québec

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

Our website includes a section for the media. In addition to our press releases, you will find information on topics of interest to journalists, including the publication of election results.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2026/20/c3745.html