Council adopted the notice of motion and draft by-law to adopt a by-law concerning the division of the territory.
At the council meeting of April 16, council members adopted the notice of motion and draft by-law to adopt by-law REG-478 concerning the division of the territory of the Ville de Brossard into electoral districts. The aim is to ensure that all districts in the territory comply with the legislation in place for the next municipal elections.
Why redraw the electoral map?
In accordance with the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities, it is provided that after January1 and before June1 of each year preceding the year of a general election, a municipal council must:
- adopt a resolution to renew existing district boundaries;
- adopt a by-law establishing the division of its territory into electoral districts.
In the case of Brossard, the option of renewing the current boundaries was not an option, since according to the statistical data received from Elections Québec in January 2024, the number of electors in four (4) districts had to be revised. The city has therefore seized this opportunity to review the electoral map for its entire territory.
The last exercise of this kind dates back to 2020 in Brossard.
“Brossard continues to grow significantly, which means new arrangements on several levels, particularly in electoral matters. The redrawing of the electoral map represents an important exercise that enables us to ensure the fundamental democratic principle of effective representation of voters across the territory. With the adoption of this motion and the draft by-law, we hope to preserve the voice of all electors, in accordance with the criteria set out in the Act and supported by the Commission de la représentation électorale du Québec,” emphasized Brossard Mayor Doreen Assaad.
Further fluctuations forecast
The population of Brussells currently stands at 95,066, and is expected to pass the 100,000 mark in the next few years. When Brossard crosses this threshold, its territory will have to be made up of a number of electoral districts ranging from a minimum of 14 to a maximum of 24. With this in mind, a new electoral map will have to be drawn up in 2028 in preparation for the 2029 municipal elections.
About the division of the territory into electoral districts
The division of the municipal territory into electoral districts is the responsibility of the municipal council. However, it is the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities that establishes the process and sets the number of districts in a municipality.
