Laval Elections Face Challenges as Many Employees Fail to Show Up
On Sunday, the Laval municipal elections faced significant challenges when numerous election staff members failed to show up on time. This situation led to delayed openings at several voting locations across the city.
Laval Elections Experience Delays Due to Staff Absence
All polling stations were scheduled to open at 10 AM to welcome Laval voters. However, many employees canceled their shifts at the last minute, resulting in operational setbacks. Guillaume Desjardins, the election secretary, confirmed that the sudden absences impacted the timely readiness of voting facilities.
Response to Staffing Challenges
Despite these unexpected staffing shortages, the office of the Laval election president had contingency plans in place. A list of substitute workers was available to be deployed where needed. Nevertheless, the extent of the absences made the situation difficult to manage initially. By 11:30 AM, all polling stations were fully operational, allowing citizens to cast their votes. Most locations had resumed functioning within 30 minutes of their scheduled openings.
Statistics on Election Staffing
According to figures from the election president’s office, almost 2,000 personnel are required to assist on election day. This large workforce can lead to various administrative complications, particularly regarding attendance. Desjardins noted that handling such absences is a recurring challenge at every election.
Mayor’s Call for Smooth Proceedings
The current mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer, seeking re-election, urged Elections Laval to ensure that the voting process operates without further obstacles. “While we are told that the issues with polling station openings have been resolved, I ask Elections Laval to take all necessary measures for a smooth voting experience today,” stated Mayor Boyer.
Issues in Gatineau
In a related incident, Gatineau faced its own challenges during the election day. Here, a technical issue caused the local election office to extend the closing time of polling stations by an additional 30 minutes. The city reported that failures were detected in an external IT system at various voting locations, despite prior tests on November 1, 2025.
- This led to some polling stations resorting to manual vote transmission.
- The new closing time for Gatineau’s polling places was set for 8:30 PM instead of 8 PM.
- No election results were to be released until after the revised closing time.
