1931 Quebec general election
The 1931 Quebec general election was held on August 24, 1931, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, was re-elected, defeating the Quebec Conservative Party, led by Camillien Houde.
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90 seats in the 18th Legislative Assembly of Quebec 46 seats were needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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It was the third general election victory in a row for Taschereau, who had held office since 1920.
Redistribution of ridings
An Act passed in 1930[1] increased the number of MLAs from 85 to 90 through the following changes:
Abolished ridings | New ridings |
---|---|
Divisions of ridings | |
Creation of riding from parts of others | |
- formed from parts of Hull
- formed from part of Champlain
- formed from part of Témiscouata
- formed from parts of Lac-Saint-Jean
Campaign
The Liberals and Conservatives contested all 90 ridings, with 74 being two-way contests, and the remainder were three-way affairs.
Candidates | Lib | Ind-G | Con-G | Con | Lab-Opp | Ind-Opp | Ind-Lib | Ind-Con | Ind | Lab | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 74 | 74 | 148 | ||||||||
3 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 48 |
Total | 90 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 196 |
Aftermath
The Conservatives initiated proceedings to attempt to quash up to 63 of the Liberal wins.[3] In one of the hearings, Houde confessed that he had personally furnished $60,000 towards the effort, but did not disclose where he had gotten the funds from.[3] In response, the Taschereau government passed the "Dillon Act",[4] which retroactively amended the laws governing the contesting of controverted elections, thus effectively gutting the ongoing actions.[5] When the Union Nationale subsequently gained power after the 1936 election, one of its first measures was to repeal this Act and restore the law to what it was before its passage.[6]
Results
This was the last election in which a candidate campaigned in multiple ridings. Camillien Houde was nominated in both Montréal–Saint-Jacques and Montréal–Sainte-Marie, and he lost both contests.[7]
Political party | Party leader | MPPs | Votes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidates | 1927 | 1931 | ± | # | ± | % | ± (pp) | |||
Government candidates | ||||||||||
█ Liberal | Louis-Alexandre Taschereau | 90 | 74 | 79 | 5 | 268,732 | 80,045 | 54.88 | 4.46 | |
█ Independent | – | 2 | – | – | – | 2,787 | 1,422 | 0.57 | 0.14 | |
█ Conservative | – | 1 | – | – | – | 711 | New | 0.15 | New | |
Opposition candidates | ||||||||||
█ Conservative | Camillien Houde | 90 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 213,223 | 104,118 | 43.54 | 9.23 | |
█ Labour | – | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 1,683 | 2,749 | 0.34 | 1.05 | |
█ Independent | – | 1 | – | – | – | 106 | 2,579 | 0.02 | 0.82 | |
Other candidates | ||||||||||
█ Independent-Liberal | – | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 1,065 | 8,280 | 0.22 | 2.72 | |
█ Independent-Conservative | – | 4 | – | – | – | 584 | New | 0.12 | New | |
█ Labour | – | 2 | – | – | – | 481 | 1,861 | 0.10 | 0.64 | |
█ Independent | – | 2 | – | – | – | 323 | New | 0.06 | New | |
Total | 196 | 85 | 90 | 489,695 | 100% | |||||
Rejected ballots | 4,190 | 1,347 | ||||||||
Voter turnout | 493,885 | 173,081 | 77.01 | 14.10 | ||||||
Registered electors (contested ridings only) | 641,324 | 131,389 | ||||||||
Candidates returned by acclamation | – | 12 |
Synopsis of results
Riding | Winning party | Turnout [a 1] |
Votes | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | 1927 | Party | Votes | Share | Margin # |
Margin % |
Lib | Con | Gov | Opp | Other | Total | |||
Abitibi | Lib | Lib | 2,685 | 63.42% | 1,309 | 30.92% | 76.12% | 2,685 | 1,376 | – | – | 173 | 4,234 | ||
Argenteuil | Lib | Lib | 2,130 | 55.70% | 436 | 11.40% | 80.43% | 2,130 | 1,694 | – | – | – | 3,824 | ||
Arthabaska | Lib | Lib | 3,590 | 68.79% | 1,961 | 37.57% | 84.86% | 3,590 | 1,629 | – | – | – | 5,219 | ||
Bagot | Lib | Lib | 1,878 | 52.96% | 210 | 5.92% | 89.07% | 1,878 | 1,668 | – | – | – | 3,546 | ||
Beauce | Lib | Lib | 3,847 | 53.77% | 1,250 | 17.47% | 82.82% | 3,847 | 2,597 | 711 | – | – | 7,155 | ||
Beauharnois | Lib | Lib | 2,311 | 51.65% | 148 | 3.31% | 82.58% | 2,311 | 2,163 | – | – | – | 4,474 | ||
Bellechasse | Lib | Lib | 2,839 | 67.82% | 1,492 | 35.64% | 84.44% | 2,839 | 1,347 | – | – | – | 4,186 | ||
Berthier | Lib | Lib | 2,479 | 57.45% | 643 | 14.90% | 87.94% | 2,479 | 1,836 | – | – | – | 4,315 | ||
Bonaventure | Lib | Lib | 3,933 | 58.91% | 1,190 | 17.83% | 91.58% | 3,933 | 2,743 | – | – | – | 6,676 | ||
Brome | Lib | Lib | 1,472 | 50.43% | 25 | 0.86% | 84.52% | 1,472 | 1,447 | – | – | – | 2,919 | ||
Chambly | Lib | Con | 2,834 | 55.72% | 582 | 11.44% | 73.15% | 2,252 | 2,834 | – | – | – | 5,086 | ||
Champlain | Lib | Lib | 3,125 | 53.91% | 453 | 7.81% | 87.18% | 3,125 | 2,672 | – | – | – | 5,797 | ||
Charlevoix—Saguenay | Lib | Lib | 4,223 | 59.29% | 1,323 | 18.57% | 81.96% | 4,223 | 2,900 | – | – | – | 7,123 | ||
Châteauguay | Lib | Lib | 1,661 | 58.73% | 494 | 17.47% | 80.99% | 1,661 | 1,167 | – | – | – | 2,828 | ||
Chicoutimi | Lib | Lib | 4,123 | 43.58% | 1,448 | 15.30% | 71.69% | 4,123 | 2,675 | 2,663 | – | – | 9,461 | ||
Compton | Lib | Lib | 2,658 | 54.84% | 469 | 9.68% | 83.63% | 2,658 | 2,189 | – | – | – | 4,847 | ||
Deux-Montagnes | Con | Con | 1,645 | 51.52% | 97 | 3.04% | 91.54% | 1,548 | 1,645 | – | – | – | 3,193 | ||
Dorchester | Lib | Lib | 3,253 | 55.67% | 663 | 11.35% | 85.53% | 3,253 | 2,590 | – | – | – | 5,843 | ||
Drummond | Lib | Lib | 2,848 | 56.28% | 636 | 12.57% | 82.06% | 2,848 | 2,212 | – | – | – | 5,060 | ||
Frontenac | Lib | Lib | 2,687 | 60.57% | 938 | 21.15% | 84.94% | 2,687 | 1,749 | – | – | – | 4,436 | ||
Gaspé-Nord | New | Lib | 1,330 | 60.40% | 458 | 20.80% | 88.72% | 1,330 | 872 | – | – | – | 2,202 | ||
Gaspé-Sud | New | Lib | 2,744 | 55.80% | 570 | 11.59% | 86.33% | 2,744 | 2,174 | – | – | – | 4,918 | ||
Gatineau | New | Lib | 2,906 | 54.87% | 759 | 14.33% | 79.80% | 2,906 | 2,147 | – | – | 243 | 5,296 | ||
Hull | Con | Con | 3,491 | 60.84% | 1,244 | 21.68% | 63.95% | 2,247 | 3,491 | – | – | – | 5,738 | ||
Huntingdon | Lib | Con | 1,361 | 53.29% | 168 | 6.58% | 81.54% | 1,193 | 1,361 | – | – | – | 2,554 | ||
Iberville | Lib | Lib | 1,303 | 71.16% | 775 | 42.33% | 79.02% | 1,303 | 528 | – | – | – | 1,831 | ||
Îles-de-la-Madeleine | Lib | Lib | 769 | 50.26% | 8 | 0.52% | 80.88% | 769 | 761 | – | – | – | 1,530 | ||
Jacques-Cartier | Lib | Lib | 4,147 | 51.34% | 216 | 2.67% | 77.62% | 4,147 | 3,931 | – | – | – | 8,078 | ||
Joliette | Lib | Lib | 3,089 | 54.70% | 531 | 9.40% | 88.46% | 3,089 | 2,558 | – | – | – | 5,647 | ||
Kamouraska | Lib | Lib | 2,630 | 59.44% | 835 | 18.87% | 82.21% | 2,630 | 1,795 | – | – | – | 4,425 | ||
L'Assomption | Lib | Lib | 1,801 | 61.20% | 783 | 26.61% | 75.15% | 1,801 | 1,018 | 124 | – | – | 2,943 | ||
L'Islet | Lib | Lib | 2,131 | 60.40% | 734 | 20.80% | 78.91% | 2,131 | 1,397 | – | – | – | 3,528 | ||
Labelle | Lib | Lib | 1,902 | 57.92% | 520 | 15.83% | 72.28% | 1,902 | 1,382 | – | – | – | 3,284 | ||
Lac-Saint-Jean | Lib | Lib | 2,055 | 52.75% | 214 | 5.49% | 80.84% | 2,055 | 1,841 | – | – | – | 3,896 | ||
Laval | Con | Lib | 8,696 | 52.39% | 792 | 4.77% | 72.43% | 8,696 | 7,904 | – | – | – | 16,600 | ||
Laviolette | New | Lib | 3,010 | 56.11% | 656 | 12.23% | 81.96% | 3,010 | 2,354 | – | – | – | 5,364 | ||
Lévis | Lib | Lib | 3,595 | 53.04% | 412 | 6.08% | 86.43% | 3,595 | 3,183 | – | – | – | 6,778 | ||
Lotbinière | Lib | Lib | 2,955 | 67.24% | 1,515 | 34.47% | 81.85% | 2,955 | 1,440 | – | – | – | 4,395 | ||
Maisonneuve | Lab | Lib | 7,538 | 49.67% | 1,530 | 10.08% | 68.38% | 7,538 | 6,008 | – | 1,630 | – | 15,176 | ||
Maskinongé | Lib | Lib | 1,912 | 61.24% | 702 | 22.49% | 81.47% | 1,912 | 1,210 | – | – | – | 3,122 | ||
Matane | Lib | Lib | 2,592 | 55.86% | 544 | 11.72% | 83.98% | 2,592 | 2,048 | – | – | – | 4,640 | ||
Matapédia | Lib | Lib | 2,813 | 62.57% | 1,130 | 25.13% | 79.83% | 2,813 | 1,683 | – | – | – | 4,496 | ||
Mégantic | Lib | Lib | 4,060 | 63.09% | 1,685 | 26.18% | 79.93% | 4,060 | 2,375 | – | – | – | 6,435 | ||
Missisquoi | Lib | Lib | 2,141 | 54.83% | 377 | 9.65% | 78.93% | 2,141 | 1,764 | – | – | – | 3,905 | ||
Montcalm | Lib | Lib | 1,765 | 56.07% | 382 | 12.13% | 91.29% | 1,765 | 1,383 | – | – | – | 3,148 | ||
Montmagny | Lib | Lib | 2,101 | 57.45% | 545 | 14.90% | 78.94% | 2,101 | 1,556 | – | – | – | 3,657 | ||
Montmorency | Lib | Lib | 1,949 | 58.25% | 581 | 17.36% | 89.28% | 1,949 | 1,368 | – | – | 29 | 3,346 | ||
Montréal-Dorion | Con | Lib | 4,831 | 52.80% | 512 | 5.60% | 70.50% | 4,831 | 4,319 | – | – | – | 9,150 | ||
Montréal-Laurier | Lib | Lib | 3,565 | 58.25% | 1,426 | 23.30% | 61.85% | 3,565 | 2,139 | – | – | 416 | 6,120 | ||
Montréal-Mercier | Lib | Lib | 9,513 | 59.45% | 3,202 | 20.01% | 69.44% | 9,513 | 6,311 | – | – | 177 | 16,001 | ||
Montréal–Saint-Georges | Con | Con | 1,553 | 51.37% | 83 | 2.75% | 55.27% | 1,470 | 1,553 | – | – | – | 3,023 | ||
Montréal–Saint-Henri | Lib | Lib | 3,956 | 59.91% | 1,455 | 22.04% | 74.77% | 3,956 | 2,501 | – | – | 146 | 6,603 | ||
Montreal–Saint-Jacques[a 2] | Lib | Lib | 3,583 | 56.34% | 806 | 12.67% | 73.83% | 3,583 | 2,777 | – | – | – | 6,360 | ||
Montréal–Saint-Laurent | Lib | Lib | 2,635 | 68.98% | 1,450 | 37.96% | 83.41% | 2,635 | 1,185 | – | – | – | 3,820 | ||
Montréal–Saint-Louis | Lib | Lib | 2,789 | 78.21% | 2,077 | 58.24% | 62.08% | 2,789 | 712 | – | – | 65 | 3,566 | ||
Montreal–Sainte-Anne | Lib | Lib | 2,069 | 54.38% | 683 | 17.95% | 70.89% | 2,069 | 1,386 | – | – | 350 | 3,805 | ||
Montréal–Sainte-Marie[a 2] | Lib | Lib | 4,989 | 52.43% | 515 | 5.41% | 74.10% | 4,989 | 4,474 | – | 53 | – | 9,516 | ||
Montréal-Verdun | Con | Con | 7,074 | 51.12% | 1,132 | 8.18% | 64.60% | 5,942 | 7,074 | – | – | 822 | 13,838 | ||
Napierville-Laprairie | Lib | Lib | 2,337 | 58.67% | 691 | 17.35% | 86.81% | 2,337 | 1,646 | – | – | – | 3,983 | ||
Nicolet | Lib | Lib | 3,316 | 57.91% | 1,012 | 17.67% | 80.86% | 3,316 | 2,304 | – | 106 | – | 5,726 | ||
Papineau | Lib | Lib | 3,554 | 56.43% | 810 | 12.86% | 79.55% | 3,554 | 2,744 | – | – | – | 6,298 | ||
Pontiac | Lib | Lib | 2,164 | 52.44% | 201 | 4.87% | 75.40% | 2,164 | 1,963 | – | – | – | 4,127 | ||
Portneuf | Lib | Lib | 3,746 | 52.14% | 308 | 4.29% | 84.80% | 3,746 | 3,438 | – | – | – | 7,184 | ||
Québec-Centre | Lib | Lib | 3,522 | 54.95% | 635 | 9.91% | 76.59% | 3,522 | 2,887 | – | – | – | 6,409 | ||
Québec-Comté | Lib | Lib | 3,747 | 54.66% | 639 | 9.32% | 92.20% | 3,747 | 3,108 | – | – | – | 6,855 | ||
Québec-Est | Lib | Lib | 5,021 | 57.67% | 1,336 | 15.35% | 81.55% | 5,021 | 3,685 | – | – | – | 8,706 | ||
Québec-Ouest | Lib | Lib | 1,641 | 52.82% | 175 | 5.63% | 80.82% | 1,641 | 1,466 | – | – | – | 3,107 | ||
Richelieu | Lib | Lib | 2,685 | 55.13% | 532 | 10.92% | 87.51% | 2,685 | 2,153 | – | – | 32 | 4,870 | ||
Richmond | Lib | Lib | 2,915 | 59.81% | 956 | 19.61% | 79.93% | 2,915 | 1,959 | – | – | – | 4,874 | ||
Rimouski | Lib | Lib | 2,455 | 52.25% | 211 | 4.49% | 87.80% | 2,455 | 2,244 | – | – | – | 4,699 | ||
Rivière-du-Loup | New | Lib | 3,777 | 64.29% | 1,679 | 28.58% | 81.64% | 3,777 | 2,098 | – | – | – | 5,875 | ||
Roberval | New | Lib | 2,732 | 52.89% | 299 | 5.79% | 88.00% | 2,732 | 2,433 | – | – | – | 5,165 | ||
Rouville | Lib | Con | 1,562 | 50.23% | 14 | 0.45% | 88.06% | 1,548 | 1,562 | – | – | – | 3,110 | ||
Saint-Hyacinthe | Lib | Lib | 3,115 | 58.78% | 931 | 17.57% | 86.85% | 3,115 | 2,184 | – | – | – | 5,299 | ||
Saint-Jean | Lib | Lib | 2,387 | 74.02% | 1,549 | 48.03% | 74.72% | 2,387 | 838 | – | – | – | 3,225 | ||
Saint-Maurice | Lib | Lib | 3,571 | 57.36% | 916 | 14.71% | 82.38% | 3,571 | 2,655 | – | – | – | 6,226 | ||
Saint-Sauveur | Lib | Con | 3,911 | 50.16% | 25 | 0.32% | 85.89% | 3,886 | 3,911 | – | – | – | 7,797 | ||
Shefford | Lib | Lib | 2,989 | 52.94% | 332 | 5.88% | 83.21% | 2,989 | 2,657 | – | – | – | 5,646 | ||
Sherbrooke | Con | Lib | 4,114 | 52.51% | 394 | 5.03% | 76.69% | 4,114 | 3,720 | – | – | – | 7,834 | ||
Soulanges | Lib | Lib | 1,120 | 58.89% | 338 | 17.77% | 82.09% | 1,120 | 782 | – | – | – | 1,902 | ||
Stanstead | Lib | Lib | 2,907 | 58.59% | 852 | 17.17% | 80.69% | 2,907 | 2,055 | – | – | – | 4,962 | ||
Témiscamingue | Lib | Lib | 2,062 | 60.13% | 695 | 20.27% | 77.71% | 2,062 | 1,367 | – | – | – | 3,429 | ||
Témiscouata | Lib | Lib | 1,671 | 52.45% | 156 | 4.90% | 87.57% | 1,671 | 1,515 | – | – | – | 3,186 | ||
Terrebonne | Lib | Lib | 4,749 | 65.97% | 2,299 | 31.93% | 81.15% | 4,749 | 2,450 | – | – | – | 7,199 | ||
Trois-Rivières | Con | Con | 3,812 | 50.27% | 41 | 0.54% | 82.96% | 3,771 | 3,812 | – | – | – | 7,583 | ||
Vaudreuil | Lib | Lib | 1,385 | 55.22% | 262 | 10.45% | 83.83% | 1,385 | 1,123 | – | – | – | 2,508 | ||
Verchères | Lib | Lib | 1,623 | 60.04% | 543 | 20.09% | 88.51% | 1,623 | 1,080 | – | – | – | 2,703 | ||
Westmount | Con | Con | 8,944 | 67.52% | 4,642 | 35.04% | 45.04% | 4,302 | 8,944 | – | – | – | 13,246 | ||
Wolfe | Lib | Lib | 1,907 | 57.06% | 472 | 14.12% | 85.04% | 1,907 | 1,435 | – | – | – | 3,342 | ||
Yamaska | Lib | Con | 1,909 | 52.10% | 154 | 4.20% | 88.35% | 1,755 | 1,909 | – | – | – | 3,664 |
- including spoilt ballots
- Camillien Houde stood for reelection in Montréal–Sainte-Marie, and also campaigned in Montreal–Saint-Jacques
- = open seat
- = turnout is above provincial average
- = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
- = incumbent had switched allegiance
- = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
- = incumbency arose from byelection gain
- = previously incumbent in another riding
- = other incumbents renominated
- = multiple candidates
Analysis
None of the third parties achieved a 1st- or 2nd-place result.
Source | Party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Lib | Con | Total | ||
Seats retained | Incumbents returned | 56 | 6 | 62 |
Open seats held | 12 | 12 | ||
Byelection loss reversed | 1 | 1 | ||
Seats changing hands | Incumbents defeated | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Open seats gained | 2 | 2 | ||
Byelection gain held | 1 | 1 | ||
New ridings | Incumbent returned in new seat | 2 | 2 | |
New MPPs elected | 4 | 4 | ||
Total | 79 | 11 | 90 |
See also
Further reading
- The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1932. Toronto: The Annual Review Company. 1933.
References
- An Act to amend the Revised Statutes, 1925, respecting the creation of new electoral districts, S.Q. 1930, c. 15.
- Drouilly, Pierre (November 7, 2017). "Élections québécoises de 1931". donneesquebec.ca. Atlas des élections au Québec.
- Cdn Ann Rev 1932 1933, p. 169.
- An Act to amend the Quebec Controverted Elections Act, S.Q. 1931-32, c. 20
- Cdn Ann Rev 1932 1933, pp. 171–172.
- An Act to repeal the Act 22 George V, chapter 20, commonly known as the "Dillon Act", S.Q. 1936 (2nd session), c. 9
- Morin, Jacques Carl (Winter 2008–2009). "A Note on Simultaneous Candidacies in the Québec Legislature" (PDF). Canadian Parliamentary Review. 31 (4): 20–23.
- "Les membres de l'Assemblée nationale par circonscription" [National Assembly members by riding] (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved September 13, 2023.