Quebecers have begun heading to advance polls to cast their ballots in the Marie-Victorin riding on Montreal’s south shore.
The seat has been vacant since last fall when independent MNA Catherine Fournier left provincial politics after she was elected mayor of Longueuil.
READ MORE: Quebec byelection in Montreal-area riding set for April 11
The riding has been a Parti Québécois stronghold for decades, but the CAQ came within about a few hundred votes of winning it back in 2018.
Shirley Dorismond is running under the CAQ banner.
She formally served as vice-president of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), the largest nurses’ union in the province.
She says healthcare is one of her main priorities.
READ MORE: Quebec Premier announces candidate for upcoming byelection in Marie Victorin riding
Back in February, a poll published in Le journal de Montreal, had the PQ and the CAQ tied for the lead in the riding. But Liberal candidate Emilie Nollet, says her party isn’t throwing in the towel just yet.
Nollet, alongside Liberal party leader Dominique Anglade, met voters on Sunday at a local grocery store. She said she hopes to win over voters by focusing on local issues such as food security and inflation.
“Too many times I’ve heard that people had to choose between their rent, that’s increasing, and food at the grocery store,” said Nollet. “There has been a massive increase of people who have been visiting food banks.”
Meanwhile, PQ candidate Pierre Nantel was also out campaigning in the riding Sunday.
While Quebec Solidaire candidate, Shophika Vaithyanathasarma, announced via Twitter that she’ll be campaigning from home for the next five days, after testing positive for COVID-19.
Voters can cast their ballots at advance polling stations on Monday or on the day of the byelection, April 11.