Wanted: 12 citizens to represent the voice of the electors
We are looking for citizens with varied experiences and profiles, of all ages and from all regions of Québec to form our new Citizen round table.
The Table will be made up of 12 people with an interest in the issues relating to elections and democratic life.
Your role
in the Citizen round table
As a member of the Citizen round table, you will act as an intermediary between the Québec public and our institution.
You will give us your opinion, in an impartial and nonpartisan manner, on matters relating to the holding of elections and the various issues in relation to our areas of activity, in the interest of the Québec population. More specifically, you will contribute to enriching our thinking and understanding by providing opinions and suggestions on subjects such as voting, political financing and ways of increasing participation in elections.
We are interested in your opinion
You don’t have to be an expert on our discussion topics to be part of the Citizen round table. We seek the opinions of citizens who are interested in these subjects, rather than possessing in-depth knowledge of these areas. Among other things, preparation documents will be provided to you ahead of meetings.
The Citizen round table
in brief
- 12 members as representative as possible of Québec society
- Thought-provoking discussions and a dynamic exchange of ideas
- Two to three meetings per year at our institution in Québec City
- A two-year term, renewable once
- Daily meeting allowance of $250
- Reimbursement of travel expenses
See the Citizen round table Operating rules and Code of conduct to learn more.
Our commitment
We are committed to taking into consideration the opinions provided by the Table. We will publish them on our website via the minutes of meetings, while ensuring the anonymity of the discussions. Every year, we will give an account of the Citizen round table’s work in our annual management report. The report will be tabled to the National Assembly of Québec.
Does this experience interest you?
If so, make sure you are eligible, then complete the required form no later than June 1, 2017, 4:30 p.m.
Are you eligible?
To be eligible, you must:
- Be 16 years of age or older.
- Be a Canadian citizen.
- Have been domiciled in Québec for more than six months.
- Not be under curatorship.
- Not have been convicted of an offence under the election laws.
- In the last five years, not have:
- Been a staff member of a political party (federal, provincial or municipal).
- Held a position or performed duties within a political party (federal, provincial or municipal) further to being appointed.
- Not be:
- An elected representative anywhere in Québec.
- An employee of the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec under the Public Service Act.
- A temporary employee of the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec under Section 497 of the Election Act.
- A returning officer or assistant returning officer.
- A member of the Commission de la représentation électorale, the Permanent board of revisors or the Advisory Committee of Political Parties, including technical committees.
French language
Because discussions will take place in French, you must be able to express yourself fluently in oral French so that you can contribute actively to the work of the Table.
Membership in a political party
You can be a member of a political party (federal, provincial or municipal) at the time of applying. However, if you become a member of the Citizen round table, you will be required to cancel your membership with any political party for the duration of your term.
Required availability
| You must be available to attend the meetings of the Citizen round table, which will normally be held on Fridays, at a rate of two to three meetings per year. | The first meeting is planned for fall 2017. The dates for the following meetings will be set in consultation with the members. | To prepare for meetings, you will be required to take some time to read the documents provided in order to participate actively in the work. |
Candidate evaluation criteria
The applications of eligible candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Motivation to get involved with an institution dedicated to ensuring the democratic process.
- Interest in citizen participation.
- Interest in elections, democratic life and democratic institutions.
- Experience with citizen participation or volunteering in your community, or any other professional or personal experience directly or indirectly related to the mandate of the Table.
- Basic knowledge of the various roles of the Chief Electoral Officer of Québec.
- Good teamwork skills.
- Demonstrating openness.
- Analytical ability.
- Demonstrating respect toward others and the institution.
The diversity of the candidates will also be taken into consideration in order to promote, insofar as possible, especially:
- Gender balance.
- Representation of all age groups.
- Regional diversity.
- Socioprofessional diversity.
- Participation of cultural communities.
- Participation of handicapped persons.
- Participation of aboriginal peoples.
Selection process
Short telephone interviews will take place in summer 2017 with the candidates retained from the first phase of the selection process, based on their application forms. Group interviews could take place at the beginning of fall 2017. The candidates chosen at this stage will be informed in due course.
