# 1962 Quebec general election

The 1962 Quebec general election was held on November 14, 1962, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage, was re-elected, defeating the Union Nationale (UN) led by Daniel Johnson, Sr.
In an unusual move, the election was called just two years after the previous 1960 general election. Lesage sought a mandate for the Nationalization of the electricity industry, with the slogan Maîtres chez nous (Masters in Our Own Home), declaring it a single issue important enough to stake his political career on it.
A few days before the election, the Union Nationale's chief organizer André Lagarde was arrested for fraud. The Liberals claimed this was proof of lingering corruption dating from the Maurice Duplessis era, but the UN cried foul and was vindicated after the election. However, the incident may well have contributed to the UN's defeat.
The Liberal Party won an increased number of seats and a higher percentage of the popular vote, and the nationalization program was carried out. Future Parti Québécois founder René Lévesque served as a cabinet minister in the Lesage government and spearheaded the nationalization of power utilities for a great expansion of Hydro-Québec.
Action provinciale, a new group founded by Hertel Larocque (a former secretary of Camillien Houde), fielded 11 candidates in the election but failed to gather a significant number of votes. Johnson opted not to have the UN join forces with it, keeping in mind the failure the Liberals had had in attempting the same manoeuvre with the Créditistes in 1956. However, Social Credit was still a force to reckon with even while not campaigning on the provincial scene, and Johnson did not hesitate to use its vocabulary in his speeches while on the campaign trail.
Riding contests, by number of candidates (1960) :
| Candidates | Lib | UN | Ind | I-Lib | I-UN | AP | Con | Comm | Total |
| 2 | 67 | 67 | | | | | | | 134 |
| 3 | 24 | 24 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 72 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | | 2 | | | 8 |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 10 |
| Total | 95 | 95 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 224 |

## Results

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (1962) :
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | MPPs | MPPs | MPPs | MPPs | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Political party | Political party | Party leader | Candidates | 1960 | 1962 | ± | # | ± | % | ± (pp) |
| | Liberal | Jean Lesage | 95 | 52 | 63 | 11 | 1,205,253 | 128,118 | 56.40% | 5.02 |
| | Union Nationale | Daniel Johnson, Sr. | 95 | 42 | 31 | 11 | 900,817 | 76,490 | 42.15% | 4.46 |
| | Independent | | 9 | 1 | 1 | | 13,581 | 8,606 | 0.64% | 0.42 |
| | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates | Other candidates |
| | █ Independent-Liberal | █ Independent-Liberal | 10 | | | | 11,209 | 3,001 | 0.52% | 0.13 |
| | █ Conservative | █ Conservative | 1 | | | | 4,255 | 4,255 | 0.20% | New |
| | █ Action provinciale | █ Action provinciale | 11 | | | | 1,445 | 1,445 | 0.07% | New |
| | █ Independent-Unionist | █ Independent-Unionist | 2 | | | | 336 | 10,195 | 0.02% | 0.48 |
| | █ Communist | █ Communist | 1 | | | | 71 | 465 | 0.00% | 0.03 |
| Total | Total | Total | 224 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 2,136,967 | 2,136,967 | 100% | 100% |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 29,509 | 4,012 | | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 2,166,476 | 36,369 | 79.59 | 2.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,721,933 | 113,494 | | |
Seats and popular vote by party :
| Party | Seats | Votes | Change (pp) | Change (pp) |
| █ Liberal | 63 / 95 | 56.40% | 5.02 | 5.02 |
| █ Union Nationale | 31 / 95 | 42.15% | -4.46 | |
| █ Independent | 1 / 95 | 0.64% | -0.42 | |
| █ Other | 0 / 95 | 0.81% | -0.14 | |

### Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1962 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 | Votes |
| Name | 1960 | 1960 | Party | Party | Votes | Share | Margin # | Margin % | Turnout | Lib | UN | Ind | I-Lib | AP | Other | Total |
| Abitibi-Est | | Lib | | Lib | 14,892 | 51.93% | 1,109 | 3.87% | 85.24% | 14,892 | 13,783 | – | – | – | – | 28,675 |
| Abitibi-Ouest | | Lib | | Lib | 6,732 | 56.97% | 1,648 | 13.95% | 88.52% | 6,732 | 5,084 | – | – | – | – | 11,816 |
| Argenteuil | | UN | | UN | 7,922 | 54.57% | 2,610 | 17.98% | 86.22% | 5,312 | 7,922 | – | 1,284 | – | – | 14,518 |
| Arthabaska | | Lib | | Lib | 10,988 | 53.54% | 1,453 | 7.08% | 91.70% | 10,988 | 9,535 | – | – | – | – | 20,523 |
| Bagot | | UN | | UN | 5,336 | 55.11% | 989 | 10.21% | 92.36% | 4,347 | 5,336 | – | – | – | – | 9,683 |
| Beauce | | Lib | | UN | 12,583 | 51.96% | 947 | 3.91% | 87.25% | 11,636 | 12,583 | – | – | – | – | 24,219 |
| Beauharnois | | UN | | Lib | 11,884 | 51.72% | 791 | 3.44% | 90.19% | 11,884 | 11,093 | – | – | – | – | 22,977 |
| Bellechasse | | Lib | | UN | 5,176 | 51.35% | 273 | 2.71% | 80.81% | 4,903 | 5,176 | – | – | – | – | 10,079 |
| Berthier | | UN | | Lib | 5,938 | 50.05% | 110 | 0.93% | 85.57% | 5,938 | 5,828 | – | – | 98 | – | 11,864 |
| Bonaventure | | Lib | | Lib | 9,525 | 57.28% | 2,421 | 14.56% | 85.26% | 9,525 | 7,104 | – | – | – | – | 16,629 |
| Bourget | | Lib | | Lib | 42,906 | 58.74% | 17,728 | 24.27% | 73.21% | 42,906 | 25,178 | 4,807 | – | 153 | – | 73,044 |
| Brome | | Lib | | Lib | 3,417 | 55.82% | 713 | 11.65% | 81.43% | 3,417 | 2,704 | – | – | – | – | 6,121 |
| Chambly | | Lib | | Lib | 36,290 | 63.83% | 17,094 | 30.07% | 76.89% | 36,290 | 19,196 | 778 | 353 | – | 235 | 56,852 |
| Champlain | | UN | | UN | 12,346 | 52.74% | 1,282 | 5.48% | 90.97% | 11,064 | 12,346 | – | – | – | – | 23,410 |
| Charlevoix | | UN | | Lib | 6,942 | 52.23% | 594 | 4.47% | 87.21% | 6,942 | 6,348 | – | – | – | – | 13,290 |
| Châteauguay | | UN | | Lib | 8,727 | 54.83% | 1,538 | 9.66% | 84.04% | 8,727 | 7,189 | – | – | – | – | 15,916 |
| Chicoutimi | | UN | | UN | 16,910 | 50.29% | 192 | 0.57% | 88.05% | 16,718 | 16,910 | – | – | – | – | 33,628 |
| Compton | | UN | | UN | 5,568 | 54.45% | 1,014 | 9.92% | 87.30% | 4,554 | 5,568 | – | – | 104 | – | 10,226 |
| Deux-Montagnes | | Lib | | Lib | 8,518 | 57.31% | 2,174 | 14.63% | 86.94% | 8,518 | 6,344 | – | – | – | – | 14,862 |
| Dorchester | | UN | | UN | 7,818 | 53.64% | 1,060 | 7.27% | 83.78% | 6,758 | 7,818 | – | – | – | – | 14,576 |
| Drummond | | Lib | | Lib | 14,621 | 57.17% | 3,668 | 14.34% | 90.97% | 14,621 | 10,953 | – | – | – | – | 25,574 |
| Duplessis | | Lib | | Lib | 7,345 | 59.84% | 2,416 | 19.68% | 79.19% | 7,345 | 4,929 | – | – | – | – | 12,274 |
| Frontenac | | UN | | UN | 6,217 | 52.46% | 582 | 4.91% | 87.92% | 5,635 | 6,217 | – | – | – | – | 11,852 |
| Gaspé-Nord | | Lib | | UN | 5,183 | 51.75% | 444 | 4.43% | 88.07% | 4,739 | 5,183 | 93 | – | – | – | 10,015 |
| Gaspé-Sud | | UN | | Lib | 7,197 | 50.40% | 113 | 0.79% | 89.09% | 7,197 | 7,084 | – | – | – | – | 14,281 |
| Gatineau | | UN | | Lib | 10,289 | 54.57% | 1,725 | 9.15% | 77.83% | 10,289 | 8,564 | – | – | – | – | 18,853 |
| Hull | | Lib | | Lib | 14,854 | 63.36% | 6,266 | 26.73% | 78.05% | 14,854 | 8,588 | – | – | – | – | 23,442 |
| Huntingdon | | UN | | UN | 3,449 | 54.14% | 528 | 8.29% | 85.15% | 2,921 | 3,449 | – | – | – | – | 6,370 |
| Iberville | | Lib | | Lib | 4,452 | 55.87% | 936 | 11.75% | 91.07% | 4,452 | 3,516 | – | – | – | – | 7,968 |
| Îles-de-la-Madeleine | | UN | | Lib | 2,674 | 51.86% | 192 | 3.72% | 92.10% | 2,674 | 2,482 | – | – | – | – | 5,156 |
| Jacques-Cartier | | Lib | | Lib | 69,199 | 77.74% | 49,388 | 55.49% | 72.46% | 69,199 | 19,811 | – | – | – | – | 89,010 |
| Joliette | | UN | | UN | 10,236 | 52.96% | 5,037 | 26.06% | 85.90% | 5,199 | 10,236 | – | 3,891 | – | – | 19,326 |
| Jonquière-Kénogami | | Lib | | Lib | 16,100 | 60.38% | 5,536 | 20.76% | 86.48% | 16,100 | 10,564 | – | – | – | – | 26,664 |
| Kamouraska | | UN | | Lib | 5,453 | 50.19% | 41 | 0.38% | 82.02% | 5,453 | 5,412 | – | – | – | – | 10,865 |
| L'Assomption | | Lib | | Lib | 9,680 | 55.06% | 1,984 | 11.29% | 84.49% | 9,680 | 7,696 | – | 70 | 134 | – | 17,580 |
| L'Islet | | Lib | | UN | 5,239 | 53.25% | 639 | 6.49% | 83.90% | 4,600 | 5,239 | – | – | – | – | 9,839 |
| Labelle | | UN | | UN | 6,005 | 57.11% | 1,695 | 16.12% | 84.51% | 4,310 | 6,005 | 199 | – | – | – | 10,514 |
| Lac-Saint-Jean | | Lib | | Lib | 9,171 | 52.63% | 915 | 5.25% | 89.25% | 9,171 | 8,256 | – | – | – | – | 17,427 |
| Laval | | Lib | | Lib | 67,316 | 66.31% | 33,807 | 33.30% | 76.57% | 67,316 | 33,509 | – | 461 | 237 | – | 101,523 |
| Laviolette | | UN | | UN | 11,315 | 53.63% | 1,533 | 7.27% | 85.24% | 9,782 | 11,315 | – | – | – | – | 21,097 |
| Lévis | | Lib | | Lib | 13,434 | 54.43% | 2,346 | 9.51% | 88.47% | 13,434 | 11,088 | 158 | – | – | – | 24,680 |
| Lotbinière | | UN | | UN | 6,393 | 53.56% | 849 | 7.11% | 88.62% | 5,544 | 6,393 | – | – | – | – | 11,937 |
| Maisonneuve | | UN | | Lib | 28,814 | 58.89% | 8,702 | 17.79% | 71.75% | 28,814 | 20,112 | – | – | – | – | 48,926 |
| Maskinongé | | UN | | UN | 5,312 | 53.71% | 734 | 7.42% | 91.18% | 4,578 | 5,312 | – | – | – | – | 9,890 |
| Matane | | Lib | | Lib | 8,204 | 50.40% | 130 | 0.80% | 83.20% | 8,204 | 8,074 | – | – | – | – | 16,278 |
| Matapédia | | Lib | | Lib | 6,111 | 51.05% | 252 | 2.11% | 84.29% | 6,111 | 5,859 | – | – | – | – | 11,970 |
| Mégantic | | Lib | | Lib | 13,182 | 55.05% | 2,420 | 10.11% | 88.95% | 13,182 | 10,762 | – | – | – | – | 23,944 |
| Missisquoi | | UN | | UN | 7,630 | 57.38% | 1,962 | 14.75% | 84.84% | 5,668 | 7,630 | – | – | – | – | 13,298 |
| Montcalm | | UN | | Lib | 4,662 | 55.41% | 911 | 10.83% | 88.54% | 4,662 | 3,751 | – | – | – | – | 8,413 |
| Montmagny | | Lib | | UN | 5,747 | 50.49% | 111 | 0.98% | 86.57% | 5,636 | 5,747 | – | – | – | – | 11,383 |
| Montmorency | | UN | | UN | 5,717 | 50.67% | 398 | 3.53% | 88.32% | 5,319 | 5,717 | – | – | 247 | – | 11,283 |
| Montréal–Jeanne-Mance | | UN | | Lib | 40,899 | 59.64% | 13,740 | 20.04% | 68.18% | 40,899 | 27,159 | 519 | – | – | – | 68,577 |
| Montréal-Laurier | | Lib | | Lib | 15,837 | 58.16% | 4,563 | 16.76% | 76.41% | 15,837 | 11,274 | – | – | 117 | – | 27,228 |
| Montréal-Mercier | | UN | | Lib | 16,992 | 54.07% | 3,322 | 10.57% | 75.56% | 16,992 | 13,670 | – | 764 | – | – | 31,426 |
| Montréal–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | | Lib | | Lib | 37,100 | 78.55% | 29,357 | 62.15% | 59.89% | 37,100 | 7,743 | – | 2,389 | – | – | 47,232 |
| Montréal-Outremont | | Lib | | Lib | 36,076 | 77.63% | 26,647 | 57.34% | 60.34% | 36,076 | 9,429 | 969 | – | – | – | 46,474 |
| Montréal–Saint-Henri | | Lib | | Lib | 17,548 | 53.04% | 2,540 | 7.68% | 70.28% | 17,548 | 15,008 | – | 531 | – | – | 33,087 |
| Montréal–Saint-Jacques | | UN | | UN | 7,854 | 52.10% | 705 | 4.68% | 65.65% | 7,149 | 7,854 | – | – | – | 71 | 15,074 |
| Montréal–Saint-Louis | | Lib | | Lib | 14,082 | 58.15% | 3,949 | 16.31% | 60.95% | 14,082 | 10,133 | – | – | – | – | 24,215 |
| Montréal–Sainte-Anne | | Ind | | Ind | 6,058 | 45.84% | 746 | 5.65% | 57.89% | 5,312 | 1,845 | 6,058 | – | – | – | 13,215 |
| Montréal–Sainte-Marie | | UN | | UN | 12,977 | 52.47% | 1,321 | 5.34% | 67.43% | 11,656 | 12,977 | – | – | – | 101 | 24,734 |
| Montréal-Verdun | | Lib | | Lib | 21,208 | 65.98% | 10,274 | 31.96% | 72.80% | 21,208 | 10,934 | – | – | – | – | 32,142 |
| Napierville-Laprairie | | UN | | Lib | 9,865 | 56.53% | 2,278 | 13.05% | 86.33% | 9,865 | 7,587 | – | – | – | – | 17,452 |
| Nicolet | | UN | | Lib | 7,209 | 51.74% | 484 | 3.47% | 85.96% | 7,209 | 6,725 | – | – | – | – | 13,934 |
| Papineau | | UN | | UN | 12,304 | 55.28% | 2,351 | 10.56% | 85.66% | 9,953 | 12,304 | – | – | – | – | 22,257 |
| Pontiac | | UN | | UN | 5,108 | 59.81% | 1,675 | 19.61% | 75.86% | 3,433 | 5,108 | – | – | – | – | 8,541 |
| Portneuf | | Lib | | Lib | 11,059 | 51.34% | 702 | 3.26% | 85.36% | 11,059 | 10,357 | – | – | 124 | – | 21,540 |
| Québec-Centre | | UN | | Lib | 9,750 | 55.13% | 1,813 | 10.25% | 84.08% | 9,750 | 7,937 | – | – | – | – | 17,687 |
| Québec-Comté | | Lib | | Lib | 34,090 | 57.80% | 9,196 | 15.59% | 87.07% | 34,090 | 24,894 | – | – | – | – | 58,984 |
| Québec-Est | | UN | | Lib | 21,001 | 52.20% | 1,767 | 4.39% | 88.59% | 21,001 | 19,234 | – | – | – | – | 40,235 |
| Québec-Ouest | | Lib | | Lib | 14,582 | 67.91% | 7,692 | 35.82% | 88.24% | 14,582 | 6,890 | – | – | – | – | 21,472 |
| Richelieu | | Lib | | Lib | 10,598 | 55.61% | 2,137 | 11.21% | 90.11% | 10,598 | 8,461 | – | – | – | – | 19,059 |
| Richmond | | Lib | | Lib | 9,932 | 57.88% | 2,703 | 15.75% | 85.16% | 9,932 | 7,229 | – | – | – | – | 17,161 |
| Rimouski | | Lib | | Lib | 10,720 | 52.22% | 911 | 4.44% | 82.70% | 10,720 | 9,809 | – | – | – | – | 20,529 |
| Rivière-du-Loup | | Lib | | Lib | 8,493 | 51.22% | 403 | 2.43% | 85.70% | 8,493 | 8,090 | – | – | – | – | 16,583 |
| Roberval | | Lib | | UN | 11,172 | 51.23% | 537 | 2.46% | 85.07% | 10,635 | 11,172 | – | – | – | – | 21,807 |
| Rouville | | UN | | Lib | 6,575 | 56.08% | 1,426 | 12.16% | 86.80% | 6,575 | 5,149 | – | – | – | – | 11,724 |
| Rouyn-Noranda | | Lib | | Lib | 9,386 | 60.06% | 3,144 | 20.12% | 85.50% | 9,386 | 6,242 | – | – | – | – | 15,628 |
| Saguenay | | Lib | | Lib | 12,116 | 57.35% | 3,106 | 14.70% | 78.97% | 12,116 | 9,010 | – | – | – | – | 21,126 |
| Saint-Hyacinthe | | Lib | | Lib | 12,070 | 56.30% | 2,701 | 12.60% | 84.85% | 12,070 | 9,369 | – | – | – | – | 21,439 |
| Saint-Jean | | Lib | | Lib | 8,869 | 50.55% | 866 | 4.94% | 89.57% | 8,869 | 8,003 | – | 672 | – | – | 17,544 |
| Saint-Maurice | | Lib | | Lib | 15,684 | 55.73% | 3,224 | 11.46% | 88.19% | 15,684 | 12,460 | – | – | – | – | 28,144 |
| Saint-Sauveur | | UN | | UN | 12,641 | 51.43% | 702 | 2.86% | 89.13% | 11,939 | 12,641 | – | – | – | – | 24,580 |
| Shefford | | UN | | UN | 12,026 | 50.01% | 800 | 3.33% | 85.22% | 11,226 | 12,026 | – | 794 | – | – | 24,046 |
| Sherbrooke | | Lib | | Lib | 18,539 | 52.46% | 1,825 | 5.16% | 81.29% | 18,539 | 16,714 | – | – | 86 | – | 35,339 |
| Stanstead | | Lib | | Lib | 8,918 | 56.32% | 2,101 | 13.27% | 84.29% | 8,918 | 6,817 | – | – | 99 | – | 15,834 |
| Témiscamingue | | UN | | Lib | 4,102 | 52.98% | 462 | 5.97% | 87.18% | 4,102 | 3,640 | – | – | – | – | 7,742 |
| Témiscouata | | UN | | UN | 5,931 | 60.69% | 2,089 | 21.38% | 82.38% | 3,842 | 5,931 | – | – | – | – | 9,773 |
| Terrebonne | | Lib | | Lib | 26,901 | 58.98% | 8,188 | 17.95% | 85.00% | 26,901 | 18,713 | – | – | – | – | 45,614 |
| Trois-Rivières | | UN | | UN | 15,323 | 51.75% | 1,036 | 3.50% | 89.96% | 14,287 | 15,323 | – | – | – | – | 29,610 |
| Vaudreuil-Soulanges | | Lib | | Lib | 10,780 | 57.49% | 2,809 | 14.98% | 90.45% | 10,780 | 7,971 | – | – | – | – | 18,751 |
| Verchères | | Lib | | Lib | 6,827 | 58.51% | 1,985 | 17.01% | 87.62% | 6,827 | 4,842 | – | – | – | – | 11,669 |
| Westmount–Saint-Georges | | Lib | | Lib | 13,114 | 69.03% | 11,486 | 60.46% | 59.04% | 13,114 | 1,628 | – | – | – | 4,255 | 18,997 |
| Wolfe | | Lib | | UN | 3,939 | 52.92% | 481 | 6.46% | 90.26% | 3,458 | 3,939 | – | – | 46 | – | 7,443 |
| Yamaska | | UN | | UN | 4,078 | 60.16% | 1,377 | 20.31% | 84.60% | 2,701 | 4,078 | – | – | – | – | 6,779 |
* ↑ including spoilt ballots
    = 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
    = other incumbents renominated
    = multiple candidates

### Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place :
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Party in 2nd place | Total |
| Party in 1st place | Party in 1st place | Lib | UN | Con | Total |
| | Liberal | | 62 | 1 | 63 |
| | Union Nationale | 31 | | | 31 |
| | Independent | 1 | | | 1 |
| Total | Total | 32 | 62 | 1 | 95 |
Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party :
| Parties | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| █ Liberal | 63 | 62 | 2 | | |
| █ Union Nationale | 31 | 52 | 1 | | |
| █ Independent | 1 | | 7 | 1 | |
| █ Conservative | | 1 | | | |
| █ Action provinciale | | | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| █ Independent Liberal | | | 8 | 2 | |
| █ Independent UN | | | 1 | | 1 |
| █ Communist | | | 1 | | |
Resulting composition of the 28th Quebec Legislative Assembly :
| Source | Source | Party | Party | Party | Party |
| Source | Source | Lib | UN | Ind | Total |
| Seats retained | Incumbents returned | 43 | 21 | 1 | 65 |
| Seats retained | Open seats held | 2 | 2 | | 4 |
| Seats retained | Byelection loss reversed | | 1 | | 1 |
| Seats changing hands | Incumbents defeated | 17 | 5 | | 22 |
| Seats changing hands | Incumbents defeated - previous incumbents returned | | 1 | | 1 |
| Seats changing hands | Open seats gained | | 1 | | 1 |
| Seats changing hands | Byelection gain held | 1 | | | 1 |
| Total | Total | 63 | 31 | 1 | 95 |