English speakers in Quebec fight to get voter info in their language

A Quebec judge is facing a tight deadline to decide whether voters should receive electoral information in English or only in French.MONTREAL (CN) — A Quebec judge is under pressure to deliver a quick ruling in a lawsuit over an electoral body’s decision to send voter information exclusively in French for the first time ever ahead of next month’s election.Geoffrey Chambers, the former president of Quebec’s English-speaking rights group known today as Talking. Advocating. Living in Québec., filed suit Tuesday over an Élections Québec policy he claims is preventing English-speaking voters from participating in the political process.At a hearing Thursday at the Quebec Superior Court, Chambers asked Judge Sylvain Lussier to retract the agency’s decision and force the agency to mail out voter information in both English and French.Adopted in 2022, the controversial bill was met with strong backlash by Quebec’s English-speaking communities.“This is fundamentally an issue of democratic participation, not language politics,” said Eva Ludvig, president of TALQ, acknowledging that French is the official language of the province. “But our electoral system should maximize participation, not put additional barriers in the way of voters.”The public agency insists it tried to obtain an exemption from the government but was denied. Élections Québec says it can only mail the following documents in French: election guides, which explain the electoral process, and voter information cards, which indicate where and how to vote.Doug Mitchell, attorney for the English-speaking rights group, argued the decision violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To make his point, he used a letter by Élections Québec chief Jean-François Blanchet in May 2025 urging the government to rethink its position.The agency cited supply issues as the main reason why it would be extremely hard to proceed if the judge orders them to mail out English documents, notably since they contain voters’ personal information and strict security rules must be followed.Henrick Lavoie, representing Élections Québec, agreed that the decision constitutes irreparable harm, but argued it is now too late to send the documents in English.“A lot of effort has been made — every vote counts,” Lavoie said. “It’s important that we be able to reach as many people as possible.”Three documents are usually sent: an election guide, a notice of entry and a reminder card. Only the latter could possibly still be sent in English, but it would cost an additional $4.3 million ($6 million Canadian dollars) on top of the $7.5 million it already cost to produce and distribute all the documents.“I think it’s clearly not ideal; in my view, it would be a violation, but at least we would get something that gives voters useful information about where and how to vote, where, how and when to vote.”Élections Québec said the cards will feature a QR code linked to their website, where English information is available. However, the group of English-speaking voters argue this is not a sufficient solution since not everyone has access to devices that can scan the QR codes and access the internet, potentially excluding people living in remote communities and seniors.In his lawsuit, Chambers raises concerns that elderly English speakers, who are often less likely to know how to navigate technology, will be restricted from participating in the democratic process because of this.“I think we had a very good hearing, I think the judge understands the issue and our arguments, and I’m hopeful that he’ll make what I believe is the right decision,” said Mitchell.Time is of the essence in this case: Lussier must share his ruling by Wednesday, as the production for voter cards start the next day, with the latest deadline by the next week. However, if the judge rules in favor of the plaintiff too early, the 10-day injunction could expire before the deadline, and Élections Québec would not be required to mail out English documents.Voters must have access to the cards no later than Oct. 2, the last business day before Quebecers head to the polls on Oct. 5.Courthouse News Reporter Tatiana Mulowayi-Pelletier is based in Montreal, Canada.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads