In the News: Elections Québec Now Accepts Candidates With Head Coverings

Quebec nixes rule forcing political candidates to remove head coverings, CBC News, 2018-02-21

Quebec’s chief electoral officer is changing a regulation that prevented people who wear religious head coverings from running for provincial office. For nearly 30 years, all potential candidates have been required to submit a photo that shows their hair. The photos will appear on ballots used during the upcoming provincial election, scheduled for Oct. 1. But on Tuesday, a National Assembly committee gave its approval to chief electoral officer Pierre Reid to change that regulation. […]

All parties at the National Assembly say they approve of the change. […] One restriction remains: candidates must show their faces.

No political party in Quebec’s National Assembly opposed this decision by Elections Québec. Previously, candidates were required to have both head and face uncovered. But henceforth, only the face need be exposed. This is yet another step away from secularism. It is like an extension of the recently adopted Bill 62 which allows almost all religious symbols in Quebec public services.