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Legault urges Quebecers to fulfill their democratic obligation by voting

"Like it or not, a campaign against five parties is divisive. Everyone tries to stand out," he said.

A man prepares to vote during the Quebec election Oct. 3, 2022.
A man prepares to vote during the Quebec election Oct. 3, 2022. Photo by Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press

QUEBEC — François Legault used his one daytime appearance on election day to urge Quebecers to vote and for his party workers to get Coalition Avenir Québec supporters to the polls.

Legault’s campaign bus rolled into one of the party’s Quebec City electoral offices, where he delivered a short pep talk to militants to keep working until the last minute to get the vote out.

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“The last thing we want to do is lose a riding by 25 votes,” Legault told the crowd. “We don’t want to regret and say, ‘We should have knocked on a few more doors or made a few more calls.

“All the work you have done in the last weeks to identify our supporters, well the culmination is today. We know, and it is not just the case for Quebec but pretty well everywhere, people don’t always go vote, they have other concerns, other priorities.

“Yet is is their duty as citizens. You (the workers) have a duty to remind them of their duty. We have to go and knock on doors, tell our supporters we need their votes.”

Legault also ran down his key campaign promises and returned to what he said Sunday: after the election he wants to rally people together.

“I know we face a challenge to unite all Quebecers, from all regions, or all origins,” Legault said. “We need to work together and keep Quebec a distinct, beautiful place.

“It will be a challenge because, like it or not, a campaign against five parties is divisive. Everyone tries to stand out, to attack.”

Legault then personally sat down to make calls to supporters in the Quebec City riding of Jean-Lesage, where the party is in a close race with Québec soilidaire incumbent Sol Zanetti.

In two cases, he left messages on answering machines but on the third call, he reached the voter.

Later, CAQ members are to gather at a Quebec City theatre to watch the results come in and hear Legault’s election night speech.

It’s unusual for a leader to be so partisan on election day, but a spokesperson for Elections Québec said the law does not ban it. The law does prohibit campaigning in and near a voting station.

pauthier@postmedia.com

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  2. From left, Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault, Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, Québec solidaire Leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime pose on set prior to the second leaders debate on Sept. 22.

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  3. From left, Coalition Avenir Québec Leader François Legault, Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, Québec solidaire Leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime pose on set prior to the second leaders debate on Sept. 22.

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