Élections Québec said it will not change its practice of instructing workers to limit their use of English at polling stations, despite a formal request from lawyers to suspend it. In a letter CTV News obtained, the province’s independent election agency told the lawyers that only a court order could allow it to change the practice. The agency said it must comply with the Charter of the French Language. In September, Judge Lussier ordered Élections Québec to prepare reminder cards in both French and English to send to voters ahead of the election. The ruling suspended part of the language law that had prevented the agency from doing so for the first time in a provincial election. However, Élections Québec said the ruling applies only to written communications, not oral communications at poll stations. “Thus, only a court order suspending the application of the second paragraph of Section 13.2 of the Charter of the French Language would allow the Chief Electoral Officer to amend the provisions of its guidelines concerning oral communications with English-speaking electors,” Élections Québec wrote. Lawyers sent the formal request after an Élections Québec poll worker anonymously told CTV News that employees could speak to voters in English only if they say they have an English eligibility certificate or are Indigenous. The lawyers who signed the letter are also involved in a lawsuit against the Director General of Élections Québec and the Attorney General of Quebec over French-only election mailouts. Geoffrey Chambers, the lead plaintiff in that lawsuit, told CTV News that lawyers will ask the judge on election day, Oct. 5, to add the practice of instructing workers to limit their use of English at polling stations to the existing lawsuit over French-only election mailouts. On the same day, the Quebec government is seeking to appeal a ruling that ordered Élections Québec to send bilingual voter reminder cards. “It’s worrying that we’re in a situation where there will be occasions where voters are treated in a way that makes their participation in the election more difficult,” Chambers said. “If you raise the bar to make it much more difficult for a certain number of people, that will ultimately mean they don’t end up voting.” In a statement to CTV News, Élections Québec reiterated that it cannot change its practice without a court ruling. “The ruling suspends the application of the Charter of the French Language to our written communications, but not to our oral communications. Only a court order would allow us to amend our guidelines regarding oral communications with English-speaking voters,” the agency wrote.
