By Gordon Lambie
Local Journalism Initiative
Despite the sweeping victory by François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) across the province, There was little change in the Eastern Townships and surrounding ridings as a result of Monday’s election. Only the Iberville riding, on the western edge of the territory, came out with a different party representative than it went in with.
Overall voter turnout across Quebec was 66.06 per cent, with 4,163,499 votes cast out of 6,302,789 registered electors. Of those, 56,197 ballots were rejected, representing 1.35 per cent of the total. That turnout was just slightly lower than in the 2018 election, and the second lowest it has been in any provincial election in the last 40 years.
Voter turnout was above the average in every riding in or around the Eastern Townships, ranging from Richmond on the high end to Granby on the low end.
Brome Missisquoi saw 67.99 per cent voter participation and 538 rejected ballots (1.19 per cent). Isabelle Charest of the CAQ held her seat with 20,577 votes. Alexandre Legault of Quebec solidaire (QS) came in second with 7,138, followed by the Parti Quebecois (PQ), Liberals, and Conservatives.
In Drummond-Bois-Francs 69.60 per cent of voters turned out to the polls and only 641 ballots were rejected (1.74 per cent). Sébastien Schneeberger of the CAQ held the riding with 18,747 votes. The runner up was Conservative Myriam Cournoyer with 6,314, followed by the PQ, QS, and Liberals.
The Granby riding had 67.94 per cent voter turnout and 458 rejected ballots (1.23 per cent). Transport Minister and veteran politician Francois Bonnardel received 21,515 votes, putting him well above second place Anne-Sophie Legault of QS’s 5,282 . The PQ came in third followed by the Conservatives, then the Liberals
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