QUÉBEC – The Quebec provincial election campaign is officially underway, with voters heading to the polls on Oct. 5.
Premier Christine Fréchette triggered the start of the campaign after meeting with the province’s lieutenant-governor in Quebec City.
Under Quebec’s electoral system, the premier must symbolically ask the lieutenant-governor — who represents the King — to dissolve the legislature in order to call an election.
The Coalition Avenir Québec will be seeking another mandate after eight years in power. Fréchette took over party leadership in April after former premier François Legault stepped down amid poor polling numbers.
The party will face challenges from the poll-leading Parti Québécois as well as the Quebec Liberal Party, Québec solidaire and the Conservative Party of Quebec.
The campaign will last 39 days.
