Polls open in under 24 hours, as Quebec’s political party leaders continue to campaign across the province.
Quebecers go to the polls on Monday, starting at 8 a.m.
- See the CTVNewsMontreal.ca Quebec Election 2026 page for complete coverage
- What you need to know ahead of election day in Quebec
- Follow the party platform tracker
- How to watch the Quebec 2026 election live on CTV
Follow along for the latest updates:
CTV News projects a PQ minority government
The Parti Québécois will form a minority government, CTV News projects.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon watches results come in alongside his spouse Alexandra Tremblay, and children Laurette and Henri in Montreal, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. . (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
Key details:
- PQ will form minority government, CTV News projects
- Liberals to form official Opposition, CTV News projects
- All leaders win seats – except CAQ’s Fréchette
- CAQ wins zero seats in major upset
Montreal mayor congratulates new premier
In a post on her social media account, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada congratulated the PQ leader on his victory.
"Montreal is the economic, cultural, and social heart of Quebec. When Montreal moves forward, all of Quebec benefits. As mayor, I will always be ready to work with the Quebec government when the interests of Montrealers are at stake," the mayor wrote.
"On homelessness, housing, public transit, and our infrastructure, the challenges demand strong, clear-sighted, and constructive collaboration between our governments. Montreal will be there."
A crushing defeat for the CAQ
In a devastating blow to the party that once ruled the National Assembly with 90 seats, the CAQ has been completely wiped off the map without a single seat.
The party struggled to keep any of its MNAs, including high-profile ministers like Simon Jolin-Barrette (Justice) and Eric Girard (Finance).
In Monday's election, the CAQ won 569,867 votes (13.33 per cent), which was more votes than Québec solidaire's (530,900 or 12.42 per cent).
“It feels like we’re in a funeral home,” said one CAQ supporter just before leader Christine Fréchette’s concession speech.
Fréchette, who lost her own seat in Trois-Rivières, had to contend with Quebecers’ desire for change during the campaign. It was a complex situation for someone burdened by the heavy legacy of her predecessor, François Legault.
During the campaign, Fréchette tried to distance herself from the CAQ's last eight years.
With files from The Canadian Press
QS keeps several seats in Montreal, Quebec City
Sighs of relief were palpable at Club Soda in Montreal, where Québec Solidaire supporters celebrated retaining key seats in Montreal, Quebec City, and Sherbrooke.
Despite the polls’ discouraging predictions, the party held onto its Montreal seats in Mercier, Gouin, Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Laurier-Dorion, and Rosemont.
“What a great campaign,” said spokesperson Ruba Ghazal, who was reelected in Mercier. “We held our ground!”
“It seems to me we started from a long way back. But hey, we fought the way only the left knows how to fight.”
Ghazal promised to continue fighting for the environment, but also for independence—with its handful of opposition members, the party could potentially lend a hand to the next premier, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who has promised to hold a referendum during his first term.
“Québec Solidaire hasn’t said its last word,” she said.
Quebec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal speaks to supporters on the night of the Quebec provincial election, in Montreal, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. . (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press)
PQ leader to speak Tuesday afternoon
Quebec's premier-designate Paul St. Pierre Plamondon will speak at a press conference Tuesday after tonight's election victory.
St. Pierre Plamondon will speak at 2 p.m. in Quebec City. He finished the election with 59 elected candidates, five seats short of securing a majority government.
Milliard speaks after winning 40 seats
Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard says the new PQ minority government has responsibility to listen to other parties.
But he says, when it comes to a referendum, there will be no collaboration with the Liberals.
Milliard's party will form the Official Opposition in the legislature.
Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard celebrates on stage, on election day in North Hatley, Que., on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)
“(The result) means that the Parti Québécois does not have all the powers to do whatever they want. They're going to have to discuss, collaborate, and we'll be collaborating on some issues, but obviously not on the main issue (of a referendum).”Charles Milliard, PLQ leader
Liberals win by fewer than 40 votes in Montreal riding
One of the tightest races in the Quebec election was in Montreal, where Québec solidaire was trying to hold onto its seat in Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, in the city's Sud-Ouest borough.
The Liberal candidate Benoit Clermont narrowly defeated QS' Guillaume Cliche-Rivard by just 39 votes.
The Liberals gained the seat with 13,340 votes compared to 13,301 votes for the QS.
A Québec solidaire by-election win in 2023 ended decades of Liberal control in this downtown Montreal riding.
Voter turnout numbers released
Elections Quebec has released preliminary statistics for the 2026 general election, showing that voter turnout has reached 67.33 per cent with 99 per cent of polling stations reporting.
This is relatively the same voter turnout in the 2022 election -- 66 per cent.
According to analysis by the CTV decision desk, roughly 2,670 votes in five ridings made the difference between a PQ minority and a majority.
"This is another indication here that every single vote counts," said CTV News Montreal anchor Maya Johnson.
Here is the breakdown of the vote count as of 12 a.m.:
- PQ: 1,184,114 votes | 27.97 per cent
- Liberals: 1,028,099 votes | 24.28 per cent
- PCQ: 878,137 votes | 20.74 per cent
- QS: 525,298 votes | 12.41 per cent
- CAQ: 562,624 votes | 13.29 per cent
QS co-spokesperson speaks to supporters
Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal says her party’s results prove that the left is still alive and well in the province.
The party is leading in nine seats and could hold the balance of power in a minority legislature.
Ghazal said her sovereigntist party is looking forward to building a country that doesn’t leave anyone behind, with the help of immigrants, Indigenous people and English-speakers.
Quebec Solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal celebrates seats won by their candidates in the National Assembly on the night of the Quebec provincial election, in Montreal, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. . (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press)
PQ leader makes victory speech
PQ leader Paul St. Pierre Plamondon walked to the stage to an enormous applause from his party's supporters at Espace St. Denis in Montreal, telling them he would live up to what Quebec voters have asked of him.
"I wanted to tell you tonight this victory is yours," he said in French, adding that he is the first elected premier from the east end of Montreal.
He said one of his priorities is to provide a fall economic update, and that he intends to collaborate with the other political parties on the issue.
He also addressed the "partners" in English Canada. "I want to reiterate that the project of independence is not built against you," the PQ leader said.
He said he would extend an olive branch to others who stand up for Quebec, including Prime Minister Mark Carney.
"Carney will find in me someone who is direct, frank, transparent, and mostly someone who will defend Quebecers' interests," he said.
At the end of his speech, he also addressed the English-speaking community directly.
"Many of you right now might be wondering how the Parti Québécois will govern over the next four years. I just want to let you know very clearly that I'll be the premier of everyone in Quebec," St. Pierre Plamondon said in English.
"I've said it earlier in the campaign but we're all in the same boat and we share the same future, we have the same interests. And we have before us many challenges and problems that we will solve together so I'm looking forward to work with you."
“I've said it earlier in the campaign but we're all in the same boat and we share the same future, we have the same interests. And we have before us many challenges and problems that we will solve together so I'm looking forward to work with you.”Paul St. Pierre Plamondon, PQ leader
Quebec Conservatives made history, leader says
In a speech to his supporters, Quebec Conservative leader Éric Duhaime thanked his "big Conservative family."
"My friends, tonight, hope comes back to Quebec. Tonight, we've just written a page in history. For the first time in 100 years Quebecers decided to send a large caucus of Conservatives to the National Assembly," he said as the crowd cheered.
"There's more than one out of every five Quebecers who voted Conservative today. We just beat six CAQ ministers and we even beat a PQ minister believe it or not," he said in an apparent jab at Bernard Drainville, a former PQ minister who lost his CAQ seat tonight in Lévis to the PCQ's Karine Laflamme.
He also spoke in English, telling the anglophone community in Quebec that they have a real alternative to the Quebec Liberal Party.
"Please, stop being hostage of the Liberal party and continue to listen to our message of hope," Duhaime said.
“Our vision, our ideas, and the respect we show the English-speaking community have convinced many of you today to choose the Conservatives and I thank you for that.”Éric Duhaime, PCQ leader
Races that are too close
As the votes are being counted, there are some very tight races that are too close to call in the Montreal area.
The Montreal riding of Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, where incumbent MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard (Québec solidaire) is neck-and-neck with the Liberal candidate Benoit Clermont. As of 10:30 p.m., the Liberals have a narrow lead with 11,960 votes versus 11,678 votes for the QS.
Another close race in Papineau, where the PQ has a 483 lead over the Liberals.
In Maurice-Richard, the Liberals have a 561 vote lead ahead of the QS.
On Montreal's South Shore, the Liberals are leading in Montarville with 12,141 votes, a difference of 556 votes ahead of the PQ's Jean-François Cloutier.
The Montreal riding of Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne, where incumbent MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard (Québec solidaire) is neck-and-neck with the Liberal candidate Benoit Clermont. As of 10:30 p.m., the Liberals have a narrow lead with 11,960 votes versus 11,678 votes for the QS.
Another close race in Papineau, where the PQ has a 483 lead over the Liberals.
In Maurice-Richard, the Liberals have a 561 vote lead ahead of the QS.
On Montreal's South Shore, the Liberals are leading in Montarville with 12,141 votes, a difference of 556 votes ahead of the PQ's Jean-François Cloutier.
PM Carney congratulates PSPP
Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated Paul St-Pierre Plamondon for his victory in a post on X, saying he looks forward to working with him "to support Quebec businesses and workers affected by tariffs, to create better jobs, to combat homelessness, and to help build more housing throughout Quebec."
He also thanked Christine Frechette, whose party has so far failed to pick up any seats, for her "commitment to Quebec and Canada."
Carney's X account initially referred to Plamondon as "Prime Minister-designate" before sending another post, calling him "Premier-designate."
Carney's X account initially referred to Plamondon as "Prime Minister-designate" before sending another post, calling him "Premier-designate."
Party standings so far
Two hours after the polls closed in Quebec, the PQ has a significant lead, with 54 elected MNAs and leading in five other ridings. The party went into the election with just seven seats.
The Liberals, who will form the official opposition, have won 32 seats so far and are leading in eight other ridings. At dissolution, the party had 18 seats in the legislature.
The Quebec Conservative Party has so far won 17 seats and are leading in two ridings, while Québec solidaire secured seven seats, but are also leading in nine other ridings.
The CAQ has, at this point, been wiped off the map with zero seats as of 10 p.m.
The Liberals, who will form the official opposition, have won 32 seats so far and are leading in eight other ridings. At dissolution, the party had 18 seats in the legislature.
The Quebec Conservative Party has so far won 17 seats and are leading in two ridings, while Québec solidaire secured seven seats, but are also leading in nine other ridings.
The CAQ has, at this point, been wiped off the map with zero seats as of 10 p.m.
The leaders
- WATCH: CTV News interviews with Quebec’s political party leaders, except one
- Quicksketch: A look at Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon
- Quicksketch: A look at Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette
- Quiksketch: A look at Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard
- Quicksketch: A look at Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime
- Quicksketch: A look at Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal
