Quebecers went to the polls Monday in a provincial election that could return the separatist Parti Québécois to power for the first time in more than a decade.

Polls throughout the campaign showed the PQ leading with around 29 to 30 percent support, enough in a fragmented field to potentially secure a majority in the 127-seat National Assembly. A Leger poll released October 3 placed the PQ at 29 percent, ahead of the Liberals at 25 percent, Conservatives at 20 percent, and the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec at 14 percent.

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has pledged to hold a referendum on independence within the party's first mandate but has said it would wait until after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029. Support for separation remains low, with recent surveys showing only about 30 percent of Quebecers in favor.

The election follows eight years of CAQ government, now led by Premier Christine Fréchette after François Legault's resignation earlier this year. Voter frustration centers on the cost of living, healthcare access, and economic pressures tied to trade tensions with the United States.

Projections indicate the PQ could win a slim majority or form a minority government, with the Liberals expected to regain official opposition status and the Conservatives poised for gains. The outcome carries implications for Canadian unity and provincial economic stability amid ongoing U.S. trade disputes.

Voting runs from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, with initial results anticipated by midnight.