Municipal Elections in Quebec: How Political Parties can Strengthen the Democratic Process, Lightning Talk (7 min)

London, Ontario

This storyboard examines the 2017 Quebec mayoral elections. Specifically, this storyboard explores rates of incumbent re-election, elections won by acclamation and the impact of political parties on the democratic process. I also use ArcGIS software to provide a visualization of the 2017 mayoral elections in Quebec. Over the course of my analysis, I found that the rates of incumbent re-election and elections won by acclamation were extremely high. However, I also found that these rates are lower in urban centres that have political parties. After examining the role of political parties within municipal elections, I conclude that political parties benefit the democratic process. Political parties help individuals challenge incumbents by providing an organizational structure to engage volunteers, receive donations, and mobilize supporters. Finally, I support this argument by referencing other work done in the field of urban and local governance.

https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wlgisday/2021/lightningtalks/6