# 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.
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 increased the number of MLAs from 85 to 90 through the following changes:
| Abolished ridings | New ridings |
| Divisions of ridings ||
| Gaspé | Gaspé-Nord Gaspé-Sud |
| Creation of riding from parts of others ||
| | Gatineau |
| | Laviolette |
| | Rivière-du-Loup |
| | Roberval |
* ↑ 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.
Riding contests, by number of candidates (1931) :
| 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. 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. In response, the Taschereau government passed the "Dillon Act", which retroactively amended the laws governing the contesting of controverted elections, thus effectively gutting the ongoing actions. 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.

## 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.
Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (1931) :
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | MLAs | MLAs | MLAs | MLAs | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | Candidates | 1927 | 1931 | ± | # | ± | % | ± (pp) |
| | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | Government candidates | 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 | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | Opposition candidates | 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 | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | 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 | Total | Total | 196 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 489,695 | 489,695 | 100% | 100% |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 4,190 | 1,347 | | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 493,885 | 173,081 | 77.01 | 14.10 |
| Registered electors (contested ridings only) | Registered electors (contested ridings only) | Registered electors (contested ridings only) | Registered electors (contested ridings only) | Registered electors (contested ridings only) | Registered electors (contested ridings only) | Registered electors (contested ridings only) | 641,324 | 131,389 | | |
| Candidates returned by acclamation | Candidates returned by acclamation | Candidates returned by acclamation | Candidates returned by acclamation | Candidates returned by acclamation | – | 12 | | | | |
Popular vote
PLQ
54.88%
PCQ
43.54%
Others
1.58% :
Seats summary
PLQ
87.78%
PCQ
12.22% :

### Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1931 Quebec general election :
| Riding | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Winning party | Turnout | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Name | 1927 | 1927 | Party | Party | Votes | Share | Margin # | Margin % | Turnout | 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 | New | | Lib | 1,330 | 60.40% | 458 | 20.80% | 88.72% | 1,330 | 872 | – | – | – | 2,202 |
| Gaspé-Sud | New | New | | Lib | 2,744 | 55.80% | 570 | 11.59% | 86.33% | 2,744 | 2,174 | – | – | – | 4,918 |
| Gatineau | New | 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 | 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 | | 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 | | 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 | New | | Lib | 3,777 | 64.29% | 1,679 | 28.58% | 81.64% | 3,777 | 2,098 | – | – | – | 5,875 |
| Roberval | New | 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
* 1 2 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.
Resulting composition of the 18th Quebec Legislative Assembly :
| Source | Source | Party | Party | Party |
| Source | Source | Lib | Con | Total |
| Seats retained | Incumbents returned | 56 | 6 | 62 |
| Seats retained | Open seats held | 12 | | 12 |
| Seats retained | Byelection loss reversed | 1 | | 1 |
| Seats changing hands | Incumbents defeated | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Seats changing hands | Open seats gained | | 2 | 2 |
| Seats changing hands | Byelection gain held | | 1 | 1 |
| New ridings | Incumbent returned in new seat | 2 | | 2 |
| New ridings | New MLAs elected | 4 | | 4 |
| Total | Total | 79 | 11 | 90 |