It has come to SSMU’s attention that certain students have had trouble getting on the voters list for the upcoming Quebec Election. Certain students originally from other provinces, but who been residing in Quebec for 6 months or more, have been refused registration on the grounds that they are not Quebec residents. For many students this is not necessarily accurate.
According to the Election Act, to vote in Quebec you must be “domiciled” in Quebec for 6 months or more. The term “domicile” is a legal term which refers to one’s place of legal residence. According the section of the Civil Code that deals with residence, a domicile is defined as follows:
The domicile of a person, for the exercise of his civil rights, is at the place of his principal establishment (Art. 75, C.c.Q)
A person whose domicile cannot be determined with certainty is deemed to be domiciled at the place of his residence (Art. 78, C.c.Q.)
This essentially means that as long as you live in Quebec for most of the year, and you consider your Quebec address your place of ordinary residence, you can consider yourself domiciled in Quebec. If you meet the 6 month requirement and are over 18 you should be allowed to vote. The appropriate section of the Civil Code regarding domiciles can be found here:
http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=/CCQ/CCQ_A.html
(The quoted text can be found in Book 1,Title 3, Chapter II: Domicile and Residence)
Moreover, the Election Act has a specific clause allowing students to vote in the place where they are residing for the purpose of study. A press release from Elections Quebec explaining this policy can be found here:
http://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/en/nouvelleDetail.asp?id=2482&typeN=2
It is not too late to get on the voters list. The special revision period continues until December 4th. To find out where the nearest Elections Quebec office is, visit www.monvote.qc.ca
