Politicians aren’t the only ones whose employment status will be affected by the Oct. 1 Quebec provincial election.
While the politicians campaign to either keep their jobs or start a new one, Elections Quebec is in the midst of a hiring spree, with thousands of polling stations across 125 ridings that will need manning on the big day.
“We have an average of around 4,000 places to vote,” said Elections Quebec spokesperson Nathalie Pitre. “Schools, community centres, city halls, and in these places we have a lot of polling booths.”
Pitre said it’s not just a matter of handing out ballots.
“For an example, deputy returning officers – that’s the person who’s responsible for polling station operations. We also need the person who will verify if the voters are on the electoral list,” said Pitre. “It’s very important to be on the electoral list because it’s a must to vote.”
Workers earn between $15 to $20 an hour and are paid for the training. Elections Quebec has turned to social media as a way to recruit people, encouraging them to apply for jobs online.
Roughly 60,000 people will work for Elections Quebec on Oct. 1, making it the largest employer in the province for that one day.
