As the Oct. 3 deadline for municipal candidates has passed, 14 mayors in the greater Montreal area, such as in Kirkland and Dollard-des-Ormeaux, have been elected unopposed. This trend of acclamation, common in smaller towns, is now rising in the greater Montreal region, as shown by data from Radio-Canada.
In Terrebonne, Mathieu Traversy was re-elected unopposed after facing two opponents in 2021. Similarly, in Châteauguay, Éric Allard will continue as mayor, uncontested this year compared to his victory against two opponents in the previous election.
In Châteauguay, all 10 candidates from Allard’s party were also unopposed for city council positions, resulting in no municipal elections for residents on Nov. 2. Mayors in Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Saint-Eustache, and Boucherville have also been elected unopposed.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux will see Alex Bottausci remain as mayor, while Kirkland will retain Michael Gibson as mayor. In the areas around Quebec City, 87 mayors are running unopposed. However, in the Chaudières-Appalaches region, four municipalities have no mayoral candidates on the ballot, including Saint-Benjamin, Saint-Cyrille-de-Lessard, Lac-Frontière, and Saint-Philibert.
According to Élections Québec, if a mayor’s seat remains vacant, a new election must be called within four months. If no candidates come forward, the municipal affairs minister will decide on the next steps. In 2021, 615 mayors in Quebec ran unopposed, and 11 municipalities were left without a mayor.
