Making an informed decision when voting

Deciding who to vote for

Are you hesitating to vote because you lack information about the candidates or the political parties? Do you feel there’s too much you need to know?

• Consult the list of candidates and authorized political parties.
• Ask yourself about your values and talk to your family, friends, or colleagues about the issues that affect you. What is important to you?
• Stay informed about current events in information media (print, television, radio, and the Web). You can start by concentrating on a topic that interests you.
• Go beyond the information that comes to you on social media. Do not hesitate to verify whether the sources of the content you are consulting are reliable. Subscribe to official accounts and diversify your sources.
• Visit the websites of political parties and independent candidates to better understand their proposals and projects.
• Compare your ideas, interests, and values with those of the candidates, both independent and members of political parties. Ask yourself who aligns most closely with your priorities.
• Don’t hesitate to ask the candidates questions. You can do so when you meet them, at public debates, by email, or on social networks.

Reliable information on the electoral process

Some rumours and false information are designed to undermine the confidence of electors in the electoral process. Sometimes, they are based on true elements that are exaggerated or distorted.

This is not a new phenomenon, but with the Internet and social media, inaccurate or misleading information circulates even more easily and spreads rapidly to a wide audience.

Sometimes, well-meaning individuals or groups inadvertently share this false information, or share it thinking they’re helping those around them. Others deliberately seek to harm, discourage participation or mislead electors.

Misinformation or disinformation?

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information shared through ignorance, without malicious intent. Disinformation, on the other hand, is deliberately intended to cause confusion or mislead. It is not always easy, or even possible, to determine the source’s intention. It is all the more important to remain critical of the information you read or hear.

To learn more about disinformation in a democracy, you can listen to the podcast Je pense, donc je vote (in French) from the Faculté de philosophie de l’Université Laval.

Check the facts

It’s a good idea to remain critical about the information you read or hear. Ask yourself the following questions before believing the content of a publication or sharing it with your acquaintances.

• Does it come from a media outlet or a website you know? Does it have a good reputation? Did other media report or confirm the accuracy of the information?

• If you found it on social media, is it from an official account? Does the account have a profile photo? Has it previously published content? Does it indicate where it carries out its activities?
• Can you identify the source of the information? Does this source have recognized expertise on the topic? Is it a person or an organization with a reputation for credibility?
• Is it possible to confirm the facts stated? Are there references you can consult?
• If it is an excerpt or a screenshot, can you find the complete article or story?
• Does the title of the publication actually reflect the content of what you read or listened to?
• Is the original publication date indicated? Is the information still up to date?

If you answered “no” to one of these questions, beware: it could be false information.

• Confirm whether other official or trusted sources have refuted the information. What is the reputation of the source? Does it adhere to principles and standards that inspire trust? Has it been reported for questionable practices?
• Talk to your family, friends, or colleagues. Have they read or heard different information?
• Ask yourself if the publication is intended to inform, persuade, or entertain you. Is it a parody or satire?
• Take note of the tone used. Does it seem overly emotional or provocative? Misleading information often seeks to provoke a strong reaction, stir up anger, or undermine trust.
• Keep in mind that artificial intelligence tools can generate content that appears to be true but is not. Be wary of images as well as video and audio content in which a person does not behave as usual or says something out of character.

What to do when information seems misleading

False information about the electoral process is not always easy to spot. Beware of overly emotional or provocative content, unsourced graphic editing, and publications whose facts cannot be verified. If a piece of information or a statement seems suspicious, you can follow the tips below.

Report the post

If you notice that false information is being spread about election dates, polling locations, or the electoral process, please contact us. We could have the information corrected. Certain situations could even constitute electoral offences.

Some posts may violate the general terms of use or community rules of various social media platforms. In this case, they can be reported directly to the platform.

Don’t take part in spreading false information

Your friends and family can be influenced by what you post, since you appear to approve of it. Don’t share posts or videos without first reading or watching them in their entirety. Some misleading titles that do not match the content seek first and foremost to provoke a strong emotional reaction. Their authors rely on an impulsive reaction to spread false information to as many people as possible.

Avoid sharing a post that seems false on social media, even if your intention is to correct the information or warn your friends and family. The easiest way to stop the spread of false information is… to do nothing. It’s best not to share a misleading post, even by correcting it, in order to avoid giving it even more visibility. It’s often just as pointless to interact with the person who posted it. Some posts are intended to provoke controversy or maintain a confrontational conversation.

If you know the information is false and want to take action, you can create a new post or take a screenshot. In that case, clearly indicate that it is false information. You can write it on the screenshot. Make sure you use an official, reliable source. Just provide accurate, factual information.

Offences related to false information

Electoral legislation does not regulate the content (images and text) of signage and political advertising. It is not intended to censor political debate or to have Élections Québec verify the accuracy of the candidates’ claims.

However, electoral legislation prohibits the dissemination of certain false information relating to how elections are conducted. During provincial, municipal or school elections, the following actions may result in offences.

• Misinterpreting the law intentionally.
• Counterfeiting or misappropriating a document emanating from Élections Québec for partisan purposes.
• Inhibiting the freedom to vote.
• Attempting to prevent any procedure relating to the vote.
• Spreading false news about the withdrawal of a candidate.

Fines related to certain of these offences can reach up to $20,000 for a first offence and up to $30,000 for a subsequent offence.

Additional prohibitions during provincial elections

As of July 1, 2026, the Election Act provides for offences that penalize the dissemination of false information intended to influence election results, disrupt the conduct of an election, or compromise public confidence in the electoral process. The following actions may result in offences:

• Disseminating false information, knowing it to be false, about the conditions to have the right to vote, the conditions to run for office, the nomination process, the process for updating the list of electors, the voting period, the polling locations, the counting of ballot papers, or the election results.

• Impersonating the Chief Electoral Officer, a member of Élections Québec staff or an election officer, or disseminating a representation of their image or voice, knowing it to be false, with the intention of deceiving the public or misleading them as to the true nature of that representation.

The Act also provides for offences targeting any person who spreads certain false information about a Member of the National Assembly, a candidate or a party leader, knowing that the information is false, with the objective of misleading electors. The following actions may constitute offences.

• Disseminating false information about such a person’s citizenship, place of birth, education, professional qualifications, or membership in a group or association.
• Disseminating false information stating that such a person has been found guilty of an offence under a law or regulation.
• Impersonating such a person or disseminating a representation of their image or voice with the intention of deceiving the public or misleading them as to the true nature of that representation.

The Act provides an exception for parody or satire content. Each situation must be analyzed in its specific context.

Fines can reach up to $10,000 for a first offence and up to $30,000 for a repeat offence.

Our scope of intervention

The Chief Electoral Officer may institute penal proceedings if there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that an offence under electoral legislation has been committed. We cannot act as soon as an offence is committed: before laying a charge, we must investigate and analyze the evidence. Ultimately, a court must rule on a person’s guilt.

In general, we cannot stop the dissemination or force the removal of false information. That being said, we monitor inaccurate or misleading information about the electoral process that circulates in the public sphere. Where necessary, we can correct any false information on the subject.

Political parties and candidates are best placed to correct inaccurate information about themselves. On the one hand, we do not hold information about their background or platform; on the other hand, during an election period, we avoid commenting about them in order to preserve our neutrality. Electors must be convinced of our neutrality in order to have confidence in the electoral process.