QUÉBEC — Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette will meet with the province’s lieutenant-governor on Thursday, paving the way for the start of the election campaign.

The premier’s official schedule says a cabinet meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m., after which Fréchette is set to meet with Lt.-Gov. Manon Jeannotte.

Under Quebec’s electoral system, the premier must symbolically ask the lieutenant-governor — who represents the King — to dissolve the legislature in order to call an election.

The Quebec election is scheduled for Oct. 5, which means the campaign will last 39 days.

Fréchette will lead the Coalition Avenir Québec party into the election campaign after succeeding François Legault earlier this year.

She will face Liberal Leader Charles Milliard, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal and Éric Duhaime of the Conservatives.

The Coalition Avenir Québec holds 79 seats in the legislature, compared to 18 for the Quebec Liberal Party, 11 for Québec solidaire, and seven for the Parti Québécois.

The Quebec Conservative Party holds one seat, and there are nine independent members.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026.