With the Canada Post strike threatening to disrupt mailing during the upcoming municipal elections across Quebec, the Legault government is calling for a temporary truce to ensure critical information is delivered on time.
Geneviève Guilbault, who recently took on the role of Quebec’s minister of municipal affairs, said Tuesday that the province is appealing to the common sense of both the postal workers’ union and the federal government to find an agreement so voter information cards can be sent to millions of voters in the coming weeks.
Voter notices, or information cards, play an important role in Quebec, as they confirm that electors are registered on the voters’ list. The cards also tell voters when and where to vote.
“We ask for the federal government and the union to find a way to distribute [these cards],” said Guilbault. “For the rest, it is the federal government’s responsibility to find a solution to the general conflict.”
After two years of failed negotiations between Canada Post and its 55,000 workers, the federal government decided last Thursday to cut costs by ending home mail delivery across the country. Canada Post employees responded the same day by launching a nationwide strike, which continues this week.
On Nov. 2, Quebecers will elect their municipal representatives in about 1,100 municipalities across the province. That means 8,000 municipal council positions are up for grabs. The voter information cards are usually sent to voters several weeks before the elections.
Guillaume Tremblay, president of the Union des municipalités du Québec, spoke alongside Guilbault Tuesday, saying, “Our objective is not to interfere in a conflict between Canada Post and its employees — far from it — but we are asking that this be recognized as an essential service.”
The delivery of voter notices is especially important in Quebec, explained Tremblay, because voters must prove they are registered on the electoral list in order to cast a ballot.
“You can’t add yourself at the last minute to the list, like at the federal level,” he said.
In an emailed statement, Élections Québec said municipalities must send the cards by mail to all voters, usually after nominations close on Oct. 3 at 4:30 p.m. Municipalities with more than 20,000 residents are also required to send a reminder card by Oct. 25 specifying the address where each voter must cast their ballot.
Élections Québec says it is working with the Municipal Affairs Ministry to find a solution, but is not in a position to say what the next steps will be. Information will be shared with municipalities as soon as it becomes available, the statement says.
In Quebec’s largest city, Élections Montréal says in a statement that it is “monitoring the situation very closely.”
“Since the strike was announced, we have been in close communication with Élections Québec, Canada Post and other cities that are, of course, facing the same situation,” the statement says. “It should be noted that elections will also be held elsewhere in Canada in the coming weeks.”
For example, the City of St. John’s, N.L., has postponed its municipal election to Oct. 8 because of the strike. Originally scheduled for Thursday, city officials said moving the election ensures all residents can vote and protects the integrity of the process.
Élections Montréal is considering possible options. For now, call centre agents are standing by to assist Montreal voters (514-872-VOTE) throughout the election period, regardless of the outcome of the situation at Canada Post.
In Montreal, for a municipal election, two mailings are planned. The first invites voters to verify their registration on the electoral list (early October), and the second, sent before advance voting, informs them of polling locations and the candidates.
