Moreover, it is possible for electors wishing to run as independent candidates to obtain authorization from the returning officer of their municipality, effective immediately. As regards establishing a new political party, it may be advantageous to promptly submit an application for authorization to the Chief Electoral Officer.

Authorization as an independent candidate

Authorization is required for all those wishing to solicit or collect contributions and contract loans in order to finance the activities associated with their election campaign. Authorization is also necessary for those wishing to incur expenses regarding the election, even for candidates paying the expenses themselves. In order to act before the beginning of the election period and to run as an independent candidate, a written application must be submitted to the clerk or the secretary-treasurer of the municipality. The application must include the name, domiciliary address and telephone number of the future candidate, along with the name of the municipality in which the nomination will be filed, and certain information, in particular concerning the appointment of the candidate’s official representative and the signatures of a prescribed number of electors. A form is provided for this purpose.

As it is not necessary to wait until the beginning of the election period in September to complete this formality, independent candidates will have a longer period of time to plan their election campaign.

It should be pointed out that this measure applies to people living in municipalities with a population of 5,000 or more who are qualified electors in the municipality and who undertake to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming municipal elections. A person can run as a candidate in these elections if, in particular, he or she has resided in the municipality for at least 12 months onSeptember 1, 2013.

To the 181 Québec municipalities having a population of 5,000 or more must be added the municipalities of Chertsey, La Pocatière, Rivière-Rouge and Warwick, whose total population is no longer 5,000, but which nevertheless continue to be subject to the financing rules of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (chapter XIII of the AERM).

Obtaining authorization for a political party for the upcoming municipal elections

In municipalities subject to these rules, it is also possible to obtain authorization for a political party in preparation for the upcoming municipal elections. This authorization enables the party to collect contributions, contract loans and incur expenses to promote the election of its candidates. It may be advantageous to promptly submit an application for authorization to the Chief Electoral Officer due to the fact that certain conditions must be met to grant such authorization and it takes time to process the application. A party cannot incur expenses or collect contributions without the Chief Electoral Officer’s authorization.

Authorization must also be obtained from the Chief Electoral Officer to change the name of a political party. This name change must occur before the election period, and a minimum amount of time is required to process the application.

It should be recalled that in municipalities with a population of less than 5,000 and which are not subject to Chapter XIII of the AERM, it is not possible to create a political party. However, the Act permits the creation, under certain conditions, of a “ticket" recognized by the returning officer.

Anyone wishing to obtain more information on this subject can consult the website of the Chief Electoral Officer at www.electionsquebec.qc.ca or contact the Information Centre:

By telephone:             (418) 528-0422 –Quebec Cityarea

                                   1-888 ELECTION (1-888-353-2846) – outside theQuebec Cityarea

By e-mail:                   info@electionsquebec.qc.ca

– 30 –

A total of 50 statements of offence have been issued for 3 types of offences: having made a contribution other than out of their own property (26 statements); having assisted a person in committing this offence (23 statements); and having incurred an election expense without being an official agent (1 statement).

Persons being prosecuted for having made a contribution other than out of their own property (straw man system):

Ginette Aucoin, Maurice Aucoin, Thierry Blanchard, Valérie Blanchard, France Blanchard-Balthazard, René Blanchette, Luce Crevier, Nadine Dartois, Marcel Dumont, Nathalie Fillion, Ginette Grandmont, Sébastien Knap, Serge Laflamme, Denis Laprise, Richard Lefebvre, Guyanne Morin, Lise Pagé, Denis Perras, Claude Picard, François Renaud,  Danielle Sasseville, Jacques Soucy,  Martine Soucy,  Geneviève Timmons,  Jean Thouin,  Julie Wiggins.

Persons being prosecuted as accomplices for having been involved in reimbursing sums of money to identified contributors:

René Blanchette (5 statements),  Alain Charpentier (5 statements),  Richard Mercier (3 statements),  Normand Pagé (3 statements),  Sylvain Picard (4 statements),  Martine Soucy (3 statements).

Person being prosecuted for having incurred an election expense without having the status of official agent:

René Blanchette

In all cases, the prosecutor is asking that the minimum fine applicable at the time of the events under investigation be imposed, i.e. $500.

– 30 –

Twenty-six of these statements of offence apply to electors whose contribution to the party was not made out of their own property and who participated in a straw man scheme. In addition, twenty-three statements were issued to six individuals involved in reimbursing illegal contributions, who are therefore being prosecuted as accomplices. Moreover, one person has been given a statement for having incurred an election expense without being an official agent of a candidate or of a political party during the election period preceding the election of November 1, 2009.

The identity of those who are sued will be disclosed when all statements have been served.

– 30 –

“Sectoral financing” enables a number of electors associated with the same company or business group to contribute to a political party. This seemingly legitimate practice may be intimately linked to the use of straw men. Audits were undertaken last year following the conclusion of an agreement between the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (DGEQ) and the Agence de revenu du Québec (ARQ). The audits determined that between 2006 and 2011, the employees of 532 companies linked to four business groups (offices of lawyers and accountants, construction firms, and the engineering-consulting sector) along with individuals connected with these  employees, contributed $12.8M  to various political parties. A special investigation unit (SIU) recently constituted by DGEQ has been empowered to follow up on this auditing work and in so doing to support the process designed to bring offenders before the courts, whenever appropriate.  

“This is just the sort of information that enables us to launch investigations and eventually to initiate proceedings,” Mr. Drouin indicated. “The fact of having sketched a groundbreaking portrait of sectoral financing is already a major step forward, paving the way for more effective interventions in the area of prevention, detection, and punishment of illegal financing,” the Chief Electoral Officer specified.

DGEQ’s audits have been initiated in the wake of the report prepared by the anti-collusion unit directed by Jacques Duchesneau. The report was released in November 2011 and contained information concerning illegal financing of political parties.

The challenge: establishing a link between contributors and their employers

The main difficulty when it comes to proving that companies are practicing sectoral financing is to identify firms where a significant percentage of employees are also contributors to political parties. Research can be carried out based on public information concerning a restricted sampling of firms, but data cross-checking cannot always determine the precise identity of individuals having made political contributions or the extent of sectoral-financing practices. During its auditing process, DGEQ prioritized systematic research based on databases that it put together, encompassing 100,000 contributions and a file containing 730 carefully selected companies. Thanks to the agreement with the ARQ, the results obtained are reliable and the cross-checked data, abundant. It should be recalled that the political-financing reform adopted by the National Assembly at the end of 2010 made this collaboration possible.

In fact, the contributions file assembles the names of individuals having contributed $400 or more to provincial parties or $140 or more to municipal parties between 2006 and 2011. The “contributions” and “business groups” files were forwarded to the ARQ, which was able to confirm a clear fiscal link between contributors and companies for 532 out of 730 firms. The business groups file breaks down as follows:

Nearly $13M in sectoral financing 

Based on information confirmed by the ARQ, DGEQ was able to determine that a significant number of employees of targeted companies contributed approximately $10M to provincial political parties and about $1.2M to municipal parties between 2006 and 2011. Nearly 83 percent of contributions made at the provincial level involved sums of $1,000 or more. According to the figures compiled, consulting-engineering firms were the most generous contributors:

 Employee contributions to political parties were distributed as follows:

In addition to contributions by employees from audited firms, DGEQ was also able to track down $1.6M in contributions coming from individuals connected to them. Information cross-checking revealed, in particular, a number of cases where more than one contributor shared the same address.

On the municipal front, two parties from theMontrealregion were the greatest beneficiaries of sectoral financing:

A significant decline in sectoral financing as of 2009

DGEQ’s audits also revealed that sectoral financing significantly declined as of 2009. In fact, 73.3 percent of all sectoral-financing contributions to provincial parties were made between 2006 and 2008. Compared to total sectoral-financing contributions in 2008, the 2009 total was down by 40 percent, the 2010 total by 75 percent, and the 2011 total by 84 percent. At the municipal level, 60.2 percent of all sectoral financing was accounted for during the two years preceding the general elections of November 2009.

– 30 –

By “non-conforming contributions”, it is understood to mean, for example, a sum given to a political party by using another’s name (strawman donations). Several witnesses who have recently testified at the Charbonneau commission have admitted to using this strategy to finance certain provincial and municipal parties. The DGEQ cannot, however, claim an immediate reimbursement because the identity of the donors, the amounts given, as well as when the money was given to the political party must first be established.

In cases where the contributions are reimbursed by a party, the law states what will happen. The Election Act, where the rules governing the financing of political parties are laid out, states that the sums are to be sent to the Ministre des Finances. A similar mechanism is in place in the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities. In these cases, the amount of the illegal contribution is sent to the municipal treasurer to be deposited into the general fund of the municipality. Both at the municipal and provincial levels, contributions given more than 5 years after knowledge of the fact of the illegal donation do not need to be reimbursed.

– 30 –

It should be recalled that the limit on the election expenses permitted for all of the political parties and candidates within the context of the September 4^th, 2012 general election stood at $81,232,106. The total election expenses incurred during the election period reached $20,383,804.

In comparison, for theDecember 8, 2008general election, the limit on the election expenses permitted for all of the political parties and candidates was $54,096,719 and the expenses incurred totaled $19,523,182.

For the September 4^th, 2012 general election, the election expenses of candidates were limited to $1.23 per elector registered on the list of electors and, in the case of a political party, to $0.71 per elector registered on the list of electors in all of the electoral divisions where this party had an official candidate.  In 2008, these limits were respectively $1.15 and $0.67 per registered elector.

Here are some data concerning the election expenses of the four parties represented in the National Assembly for the September 4^th, 2012 general election:

* These comparative numbers are those of the Action démocratique du Québec/Équipe Mario Dumont party and their candidates

For all parties and candidates, advertising expenses represent nearly 49% of the total election expenses reported.  Among the parties represented in the National Assembly, it is Québec solidaire and its candidates that devoted the largest portion of their election expenses to advertising, with approximately 55% of the total. The Coalition avenir Québec and its candidates devoted approximately 50% of their expenses to advertising. The Quebec Liberal Party and its candidates invested approximately 49% of their election expenses in advertising, while Parti québécois devoted approximately 47%.

The rental of premises represents less than 4% of the election expenses of all parties and candidates.

Moreover, the Chief Electoral Officer has already paid an advance on the reimbursement of the election expenses of parties and candidates which corresponds to 35% of the limit on election expenses of candidates and of the amount estimated by the official agents of the parties. The amount of this advance totals $8,650,259.

Following a detailed audit of the returns of election expenses of the political parties and candidates, the necessary adjustments will be made so that the reimbursement equals 50% of the election expenses incurred and paid in accordance with the Electoral Act. The total reimbursement of election expenses should reach approximately $9,750,000, whereas it stood at approximately $9,300,000 in 2008. It should be noted that in order to obtain a reimbursement, a candidate must have been elected or have obtained at least 15% of the valid votes. In the case of a political party, it must have obtained at least 1% of the valid votes.

You can examine the summary of the returns of election expenses by visiting the web-site of the Chief Electoral Officer at the following address:  http://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/francais/provincial/financement-et-depenses-electorales/elections-generales-depenses.php, or by contacting the Information Centre at (418) 528-0422 (Québec City region) or 1 888 ÉLECTION (1 888 353-2846) (outside the Québec City region). 

– 30 –

 "The drawing up of the electoral map kicks off the democratic process that will culminate with the election of commissioners," explained Mr. Drouin. "In this regard, parents of children attending primary and secondary schools will be required to play a key role, just like the 5.9 million Québec electors who will be called upon to exercise their voting rights in November 2014." 

 Fair Representation

 It should be pointed out that the division of the territory is aimed at ensuring the relative equality of the votes of all electors in order to guarantee fair representation on the council of commissioners. 

 School boards also have to divide their territory into electoral divisions taking into account the division criteria defined under the Act Respecting School Elections. These criteria include the location of educational institutions, physical barriers (e.g. a river), population variations (demographic trends), municipality boundaries, the area of the school board, and distance.

 The number of electoral divisions in a school board is determined by law and will vary according to its population.

 A Step-by-Step Process

 The council of commissioners carries out the division of the territory into electoral divisions. The division process takes place in several stages and has to be completed by December 31, 2013.

 The council of commissioners adopts a division proposal and informs electors through a public notice.  Those opposed to the proposed division can express their objection in writing to the director general of the school board. If enough objections are received, the council has to hold a public meeting to hear those interested. The council of commissioners then adopts a resolution with or without modification of the initial division proposal.

 If some electors are still not satisfied, they can express their objection to the Commission de la représentation électorale. If enough objections are once again received, the CRE will hold a public consultation meeting and later proceed, if necessary, to divide the territory into electoral divisions.

 For More Information

 Anyone interested in the division of the territory of a school board into electoral divisions can obtain information from his or her school board.

 Information is also available on the Web site of the Chief Electoral Officer and Chair of the Commission de la représentation électorale, at the following address: www.electionsquebec.qc.ca. The information centre of the Chief Electoral Officer can also be reached toll free at 1-888-ELECTIONS (1-888-353-2846).

Obtaining an authorization as an independent candidate

An authorization is required for every person wishing to solicit or collect contributions and contract loans in order to finance the activities associated with their election campaign. It is also necessary to incur expenses regarding the election. To obtain an authorization, a written application must be submitted to the clerk or the secretary-treasurer of the municipality. Said application must contain the name of the future candidate, his domiciliary address, his telephone number, the name of the municipality in which the nomination will be filed, as well as certain information, notably that concerning the appointment of the candidate’s official representative.

As it is not necessary to wait until the start of the election period in September to complete this formality, independent candidates have a longer period of time to plan their election campaign.

It should be pointed out that this measure applies to people living in municipalities with a population of 5 000 or more who are qualified electors in the municipality and who undertake to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming municipal elections. A person can run as a candidate in the upcoming municipal elections if, in particular, he has resided on the territory of the municipality for at least 12 months on September 1, 2013.

To the 185 Québec municipalities having a population of 5 000 or more must be added the municipalities of Chertsey, La Pocatière, Rivière-Rouge and Warwick, whose total population is not 5 000 anymore, but which nevertheless continue to be subject to financing rules of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (chapter XIII of the AERM).

Obtaining an authorization for a political party for the upcoming municipal elections

In municipalities subject to those rules, it is also possible to obtain an authorization for a political party in preparation for the upcoming municipal elections. With this authorization, it will be possible to collect contributions, contract loans and incur expenses to promote the election of its candidates. It may be advantageous to promptly submit an application for authorization to the Chief Electoral Officer due to the fact that certain conditions must be met to grant such an authorization and it takes time to process the application.

An authorization must also be obtained from the Chief Electoral Officer to change the name of a political party. This name change must occur before the election period, and a minimum amount of time is required to process the application.

It should be recalled that in municipalities with a population of less than 5 000 and which are not subject to Chapter XIII of the AERM, it is not possible to create a political party. However, the Act permits the establishment, under certain conditions, of a "recognized ticket" by the returning officer.

Those individuals wishing to obtain more information on this subject can consult the website of the Chief Electoral Officer at the following address: www.electionsquebec.qc.ca or contact the Information Centre:

By telephone:             (418) 528-0422 –QuébecCityarea

                                   1 888 ÉLECTION (1 888 353-2846) – outside the Québec City area

By e-mail:                   info@electionsquebec.qc.ca

– 30 –

The reform will not fundamentally change the role of the DGEQ. “Contributions will continue to be sent directly to us before being sent to political parties, stated the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Jacques Drouin and we will still be responsible for providing parties with their financing that comes from the State.” However, this public financing will go beyond the annual allowance given by the DGEQ; an additional subsidy that matches and enhances contributions also enters into force today.

Maximum allowed contribution

There is now a maximum of $100 per year, rather than $1,000, that an elector in Québec can give, from his own property, voluntarily and without compensation, to a political party, an independent member or an authorized independent candidate. The maximum contribution in cash is also reduced, from $99 to $50. In the case of a general election or a by-election, an additional contribution of $100 will be allowed, in addition to the first $100 already permitted by law.

Enhanced contributions

To compensate for reduced revenue resulting from lowering the maximum allowed contribution, public financing from the State has been enhanced. The first way to accomplish this is to enhance contributions given by electors. Under a matching and enhancing mechanism which comes into force today, the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec will give parties an additional amount of money for each dollar collected from contributions:

• For the first $20,000 collected throughout the year, the DGEQ will give the party an additional amount of $2.50 (per dollar collected).
• For the next $200,000 collected, the DGEQ will give an additional amount of $1.00 (per dollar collected).

For a political party that amasses $220,000 in contributions, thus resulting in total revenue of $470,000, they will have received a subsidy of $250,000 for a financial year. During a general election, the enhancement mechanism is reset and a provincial political party that collects again $220,000 of contributions sees this amount increased, so it will receive from the DGEQ an additional sum of $250,000.

The new mechanism will also allow new political parties to more rapidly build election funds. These are political parties that have never participated in an election, and thus have no right to an annual allowance from the DGEQ. They can benefit from a matching and enhancing mechanism, but under the condition of being supported by a sufficient number of members under rules determined by the Election Act.

Independent members or authorized independent candidates who collect $800 in contributions will benefit from an enhancement of $2.50 per dollar amassed, for total additional revenue of $2,000 and total revenue of $2,800.

The increased DGEQ allowance

A second way of increasing the public financing of provincial political parties is to increase the annual allowance given by the Chief Electoral Officer. So, the new act provides for an increase in the sum distributed to political parties based on their election results (percentage of votes obtained). This sum to be divided will henceforth be calculated by multiplying $1.50 (instead of $0.85) by the number of electors registered at the general election. During an election year, the amount per elector used to calculate the amount to be divided between the parties will be increased by $1.00, going from $1.50 to $2.50.

Maximum allowed election expenses

In order to limit the financial needs of political parties during a general election, the new act limits to eight million dollars the allowed amount of election expenses that can be incurred by a party and its candidates. During the last general election, in September, the parties and their candidates could have spent a total sum of around 11.5 million dollars.

Leadership campaigns for political parties

Races for the leadership of provincial political parties that are currently underway are unaffected by the new rules regarding the maximum allowed contributions. Therefore, candidates can still collect contributions up to $1,000, while donors can receive tax credits for political contributions. The maximum contribution will, however, be halved, dropping to $500, for future leadership races.

Finally, it is important to remember that the financing of municipal candidates and parties is unaffected by the legislation entering into force today.

For more information, you can consult the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec’s website at http://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/contribution/english/

– 30 –

The Chief Electoral Officer of Québec proposes to withdraw the authorization of the municipal political party “Démocratie L’Ancienne-Lorette”, in accordance with section 404 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (chapter E-2.2)  (the « AERM »), for the following reasons:

• Failure to send to the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec, no later than April 1, 2012, a list indicating the names and addresses of the minimum number of members as outlined in paragraph 3 of section 397, which is 25, all of whom are qualified electors and have a valid membership card, all of which contravenes section 399.3 of the AERM; and

• Failure to provide the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec with the information required to update the register outlined in section 424 of the AERM.

If you have any comments to make or arguments to present regarding the decision to withdraw the authorization of this party, these must be sent in writing no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, to the following address:

Le Directeur général des élections du Québec
Direction du financement des partis politiques
Service du Registre des entités politiques autorisées et services-conseils
Édifice René-Lévesque
3460, rue de La Pérade
Québec City (Québec)  G1X 3Y5

If your comments and arguments are not submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, the authorization of the municipal political party “Démocratie L’Ancienne-Lorette” will be withdrawn.

Given in Québec City, December 21, 2012

Jacques Drouin

Chief Electoral Officer of Québec and
President of the Commission de la représentation électorale

The Chief Electoral Officer of Québec intends to withdraw the authorization granted to the municipal political party “Citoyens de Dorval pour la démocratie / Citizens of Dorval for Democracy”, in accordance with section 404 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (c.E-2.2) « AERM » for the following reason: 

• Failure to transmit to the Chief Electoral Officer, no later than April 1 2012 a list indicating the names and addresses of the minimum number of members provided for in paragraph 3 of section 397 of the Act and these members must be qualified electors and have valid membership cards, is a violation of section 399.3 of the AERM;
   

• Failure to provide the information required to update the register contemplated in section 424 of the AERM.
   

If you wish to make comments or present arguments in respect of the withdrawal of authorization of this party, please submit them in writing no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, at the following address:

Le Directeur général des elections du Québec
Direction du financement des partis politiques
Service du Registre des entités politiques autorisées et services-conseils
Édifice René-Lévesque
3460 Rue de La Pérade
Quebec City (Québec) G1X 3Y5

If you fail to submit your written comments or arguments within the stipulated time, December 31, 2012, 4:30 p.m., the authorization of the municipal political party “Citoyens de Dorval pour la démocratie / Citizens of Dorval for Democracy” will be withdrawn. 

Given in Québec City on December 20, 2012

Jacques Drouin

Chief Electoral Officer of Québec and
President of the Commission de la représentation électorale

“It is very heartening to see that electors aged 18 to 44 have exercised their right to vote in large numbers in 2012, particular amongst the youngest of them”, declared the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Jacques Drouin. “However, the research indicates that we must remain vigilant and continue to be concerned about voter turnout among the youngest electors.”

The study by the Research Chair also puts in perspective the worrying turnout of 57.43% at the 2008 general election and leads to the conclusion that it was an event “against the trend”. This very low turnout was that of an “exceptional” vote and it is the voters aged 18 to 44 who are largely responsible for correcting this anomaly at the September 2012 general elections. This is what the numbers reveal, over a 60-year period, the voter turnout of Quebecers fell slightly (74.01%, a drop of 5 %) between 1985 and 2008 and that this moderate drop is a better reflection of the reality than the statistically abrupt fall recorded in 2008. In this respect, the 2012 election turnout of 74.60% is satisfying, but it is too early, says the study, to conclude that this represents the start of a trend reversal.

A study based on a very representative sample

Professor François Gélineau, holder of the Research Chair in Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions, led the study which was carried out this fall by using annotated electoral lists from the vote, held on September 4, 2012. A study of the lists allowed for the formation of a representative sample of more than 53,000 Québec electors, from which we could estimate the turnout for each age group with very high statistical precision.

If we compare the turnout rates for age groups between 2008 and 2012, we observe an increase in turnout in all segments, but especially among voters in the younger age groups:

• 18 – 24 : + 25.9%, at 62.1%
• 25 – 34 : + 24.5%, at 66.4%
• 35 – 44 : + 21.6%, at 73.2%

The researcher, however, noted that the 2012 turnout, for the same age groups, resembled those of the 2007 general election. “The apparent increase in turnout observed among the youngest voters between 2008 and 2012 is actually a return to the former situation”, concluded Mr. Gélineau. “The surprise is not so much to note an increase in 2012, but rather a particularly high decline among young electors in 2008. It is thus the 2008 election that has muddied the waters”, interpreted the researcher.

Another observation from the Research Chair’s study is that for every age group, except for those aged 75 and older, higher percentages of women voted than men.

You may consult the complete text (in French) of the study on voter turnout by going to the website of Université Laval’s Research Chair in Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions, at http://www.democratie.chaire.ulaval.ca

– 30 –

The Chief Electoral Officer of Québec proposes to withdraw the authorization of the municipal political party «  Équipe Dansereau », in accordance with section 404 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (the « AERM »), for the following reason:

• Failure to send to the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec, no later than April 1, 2012, a list indicating the names and addresses of the minimum number of members as outlined in paragraph 3 of section 397, which is 25, and all of whom are qualified electors and have a valid membership card, all of which contravenes section 399.3 of the AERM.

If you have any comments to make or arguments to present regarding the decision to withdraw the authorization of this party, these must be sent in writing no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31 , 2012, to the following address:

Le Directeur général des élections du Québec
Direction du financement des partis politiques
Service du Registre des entités politiques autorisées et services-conseils
Édifice René-Lévesque
3460, rue de La Pérade
Québec City (Québec)  G1X 3Y5

If your comments and arguments are not submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, the authorization of the municipal political party “Équipe Dansereau” will be withdrawn.

Given in Québec City, December 19, 2012

Jacques Drouin

Chief Electoral Officer of Québec and
President of the Commission de la représentation électorale

The Chief Electoral Officer of Québec proposes to withdraw the authorization of the municipal political party “Sainte-Anne-Plus”, in accordance with section 404 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (the « AERM »), for the following reasons:

• Failure to send to the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec, no later than April 1, 2012, a list indicating the names and addresses of the minimum number of members as outlined in paragraph 3 of section 397, which is 25, all of whom are qualified electors and have a valid membership card, all of which contravenes section 399.3 of the AERM; and 

• Failure to provide the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec with the information required to update the register outlined in section 424 of the AERM.

If you have any comments to make or arguments to present regarding the decision to withdraw the authorization of this party, these must be sent in writing no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31 , 2012, to the following address:

Le Directeur général des élections du Québec
Direction du financement des partis politiques
Service du Registre des entités politiques autorisées et services-conseils
Édifice René-Lévesque
3460, rue de La Pérade
Québec City (Québec) G1X 3Y5

If your comments and arguments are not submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, the authorization of the municipal political party “SainteAnnePlus” will be withdrawn. 

Given in Québec City, December 19, 2012 

Jacques Drouin

Chief Electoral Officer of Québec and
President of the Commission de la représentation électorale

The Chief Electoral Officer of Québec proposes to withdraw the authorization of the municipal political party “Équipe Guy Guénette – Gens de Prévost”, in accordance with section 404 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (chapter E-2.2)  (the « AERM »), for the following reason:

• Failure to send to the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec, no later than April 1, 2012, a list indicating the names and addresses of the minimum number of members as outlined in paragraph 3 of section 397, which is 25, all of whom are qualified electors and have a valid membership card, all of which contravenes section 399.3 of the AERM.
   

If you have any comments to make or arguments to present regarding the decision to withdraw the authorization of this party, these must be sent in writing no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, to the following address:

Le Directeur général des élections du Québec
Direction du financement des partis politiques
Service du Registre des entités politiques autorisées et services-conseils
Édifice René-Lévesque
3460, rue de La Pérade
Québec City (Québec)  G1X 3Y5

If your comments and arguments are not submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2012, the authorization of the municipal political party “Équipe Guy Guénette – Gens de Prévost” will be withdrawn.

Given in Québec City, December 19, 2012

Jacques Drouin

Chief Electoral Officer of Québec and
President of the Commission de la représentation électorale