Quebec’s next general election must be held no later than Oct. 5, 2026, setting up a vote that will choose the members of the province’s 44th National Assembly and decide the next shape of power in Quebec City.
The date is a deadline, not a guarantee. Under Quebec’s fixed-date election rules, the general election following a legislature is set for the first Monday of October in the fourth calendar year after the previous legislature’s final day. The same framework does not prevent the lieutenant governor of Quebec from dissolving the legislature earlier under the province’s parliamentary conventions.
A changed political lineup
The coming campaign follows a 2022 election in which François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec expanded its majority, winning 90 seats. The Quebec Liberals finished fourth in the popular vote, behind Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois, but still formed the official opposition with 21 seats.
The Parti Québécois lost most of its remaining seats in that election but elected leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. The Conservative Party of Quebec increased its vote share to 13%, but because its support was spread across the province, it did not win a seat.
The latest election overview also points to significant leadership movement ahead of the 2026 vote. Its timeline lists Legault announcing his pending resignation as premier and CAQ leader on Jan. 14, 2026, Christine Fréchette winning the CAQ leadership on April 12, and Fréchette being sworn in as Quebec’s 33rd premier on April 15. Her ministry was sworn in April 21.
Opposition parties also enter the race changed
The Liberal Party has also gone through leadership turnover since the last election. The timeline records Dominique Anglade’s resignation after the 2022 result, Pablo Rodriguez winning the party’s 2025 leadership race, Rodriguez later stepping down, and Charles Milliard winning the 2026 Liberal leadership by acclamation.
Québec solidaire has likewise seen changes in its co-spokesperson roles. The overview lists Ruba Ghazal as female spokesperson and Sol Zanetti as a co-spokesperson after a series of changes beginning with Manon Massé’s 2023 announcement that she would not seek re-election to the role.
The core uncertainty is timing. The law sets Oct. 5, 2026, as the latest required election date, but an earlier dissolution remains possible. Until an election is formally called, the campaign calendar, candidate lineups and party standings remain the next pieces to watch.
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