You Are Not Electing a Leader: You Are Electing Your MNA

A provincial election campaign often looks like a race between party leaders. Their faces dominate advertising, televised debates and headlines. In conversations with friends or relatives, the question quickly becomes: “Which party are you voting for?” But when you mark your ballot, you are not directly voting for a premier. You are choosing a candidate in your electoral division. That is more than a technical distinction. The person elected will become your voice in the National Assembly. Throughout the legislature, that person will be expected to examine bills, scrutinize the government, help residents dealing with the public administration and advocate for the needs of your community. The party matters. Its platform, team and ability to form a government matter too. But a candidate is not merely a logo on a sign. An informed vote requires assessing both. ## What your ballot actually chooses Quebec uses **single-member plurality**, commonly called first past the post. In plain language, the province is divided into 127 electoral divisions; each elector chooses one of the candidates running locally; and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat, even without receiving more than 50% of the vote. [Élections Québec explains](https://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/comprendre/comprendre-la-democratie-et-les-elections/les-systemes-electoraux-du-quebec/) that voters choose a candidate. The party that elects the greatest number of MNAs then forms the government, and its leader normally becomes premier. The province-wide result is therefore the sum of 127 local elections. Your vote helps determine which party will govern, but it also entrusts a specific person from your area with a mandate. That is why two separate questions deserve answers before election day: 1. Which political project do you want to support for Quebec? 2. Which person do you want representing your electoral division? Sometimes both answers naturally lead to the same choice. At other times, a voter may like a party but have doubts about its local candidate—or strongly respect a candidate without supporting that party’s full platform. That is a legitimate dilemma. It deserves more than an automatic choice based solely on the leader, party colour or the views of people around you. ## What an MNA actually does According to the [National Assembly of Québec](https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/abc-assemblee/fonction-depute/index.html), MNAs have three main roles. ### 1. Legislator An MNA examines, analyzes and votes on bills. Much of this work takes place in parliamentary committees, away from the clips most often shared on social media. MNAs can question witnesses, review individual provisions and propose amendments. ### 2. Scrutinizer of government action The National Assembly has the power to oversee the government, its departments and its agencies. MNAs can ask questions, take part in the examination of spending estimates, review public administration and demand accountability. This role is most visible in the opposition, but every parliamentarian has a responsibility to understand and assess public decisions. ### 3. Intermediary between residents and the public administration This is the part of the job most easily overlooked during a campaign. An MNA and their staff can assist residents trying to access a government program, facing a roadblock with a department or seeking a change to a statute or regulation. An MNA can also present a petition, meet with ministers and public servants, intervene during the examination of spending estimates and advocate for local needs. A dangerous highway, a closed emergency room, an overcrowded school, a housing shortage, inadequate public transit or difficulty accessing a public service: local issues need someone able to document them, raise them and follow through. An MNA cannot solve every problem alone. They do not run municipalities or government departments, and they do not personally control public budgets. But they can open doors, obtain answers, make a problem visible and maintain pressure when a file stalls. ## Representing the entire electoral division Once elected, an MNA does not represent only the people who voted for them. They represent the entire electoral division. This matters in a voting system where the winner may receive less than half the ballots cast. The constituency office should remain accessible regardless of a resident’s political allegiance. Local work should not be limited to party members or neighbourhoods where the MNA received the strongest support. Research by Université Laval’s Research Chair on Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions also found that constituency representation occupied a central place in how Quebec MNAs understood their work. The research dates from 2011 and cannot measure the behaviour of the next legislature, but it illustrates an enduring institutional reality: representing a territory is not a secondary task added to parliamentary work. It is a fundamental part of the job. ## Yes, the party remains decisive Encouraging voters to examine the candidate does not mean that all platforms are equivalent or that party affiliation is unimportant. Parties write platforms, organize MNAs into caucuses, assign parliamentary responsibilities and seek to form the government. In our system, caucus cohesion and party discipline strongly influence votes. A candidate therefore cannot honestly promise to disregard their party in every situation. The government also controls much of the legislative and budgetary agenda. An opposition MNA does not have the same levers as a minister or a government caucus member. Conversely, belonging to the governing party does not guarantee that an MNA will advocate effectively for every local priority. The proper conclusion is therefore not “always vote for the person rather than the party.” It is more demanding: **do not let either the party or the candidate’s personality replace an examination of the other**. An excellent platform represented locally by someone absent, unprepared or inaccessible can leave an electoral division with a weaker voice. An impressive candidate attached to a program you deeply oppose can also present a problem. An informed vote means confronting that tension honestly. ## Seven questions for your local candidates Before election day, every candidate should be able to answer these questions clearly: 1. **What are the electoral division’s three top priorities?** An entirely province-wide answer without a specific local example is incomplete. 2. **What have you already done in the community?** Political experience is not mandatory, but involvement, listening and local knowledge can leave verifiable evidence. 3. **What will you do in your first 100 days?** Look for concrete steps: meetings, data to obtain, people to mobilize and requests to submit. 4. **How accessible will your office be?** Opening hours, presence across the territory, response times and reporting practices are measurable commitments. 5. **What will you do if a local interest conflicts with your party’s position?** There is no single correct answer, but the candidate should be able to explain their approach and its limits. 6. **How will you report on your work?** A public record, newsletter, town halls and published follow-ups allow voters to assess more than announcements. 7. **Do you understand Quebec’s jurisdiction?** A credible candidate must distinguish provincial, federal and municipal responsibilities. Promising something Quebec does not control is a warning sign. Perfect answers do not exist. The goal is to compare preparation, candour and ability to act—not to reward the most appealing pitch. ## Shortcuts that weaken your choice Voting like your friends, family or social media feed is not necessarily voting according to your priorities. People around you can point to an issue or share useful information, but they may not live in the same electoral division or have the same needs. Three shortcuts are particularly misleading: - **“I like the leader, so the local candidate must be right for me.”** The leader will not handle requests made to your constituency office. - **“This candidate seems likeable, so the party does not matter.”** If elected, the candidate will work within a party-structured system and participate in province-wide decisions. - **“My electoral division is already decided, so my vote does not matter.”** Each seat is awarded according to local ballots; margins change, and results also send a signal to elected officials. ## A 20-minute review can change your decision You do not need to become an expert on every platform. A short process can already move your decision beyond partisan reflexes: - confirm your electoral division; - read each candidate’s profile; - choose the two or three local issues that most affect your daily life; - compare concrete answers and commitments; - verify one important accomplishment or claim; - then confirm that the party platform remains compatible with your province-wide priorities. On LeQuébecVote.ca, electoral-division and candidate profiles are designed to bring these two levels of the decision together: the political project proposed for Quebec and the person expected to represent your community. ## On October 5, choose a voice—not only a colour An effective MNA cannot transform an electoral division alone. A less active MNA also cannot single-handedly prevent every statute, investment or program advanced by their party. Exaggeration should be avoided in both directions. Yet over a legislature, the quality of local representation can make a real difference: a request handled rather than forgotten, an issue documented rather than invisible, a petition presented, a minister questioned, an organization assisted or a community heard. On October 5, 2026, your choice will help determine Quebec’s next government. It will also determine who speaks for your electoral division in the years that follow. Before choosing a party because a friend recommends it, take a few minutes to learn about the person asking for your trust. Their name is not a minor detail on the ballot. It is the person you are electing.