Pierre F. Côté facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre F. Côté
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| Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec | |
| In office May 25, 1978 – July 16, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | François Casgrain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 16, 1927 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | June 17, 2013 (aged 85) |
Pierre-Ferdinand Côté, OQ (July 16, 1927 – June 17, 2013) was an important Canadian public servant and lawyer. He is best known for being the very first Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec. He held this important job for almost 20 years, from 1978 to 1997.
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Who Was Pierre F. Côté?
Pierre F. Côté was born in Quebec City, Quebec, on July 16, 1927. He became a lawyer and started his career in his hometown. Later, he worked in politics. In the 1960s, he was a top assistant to René Lévesque. At that time, Lévesque was a minister in the Quebec government led by Premier Jean Lesage.
Quebec's Election Watchdog
In 1978, Pierre F. Côté was chosen to be the first Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec. This role is very important. The Chief Electoral Officer makes sure that all elections and referendums in Quebec are fair and run smoothly. It's like being the main referee for all voting in the province.
Mr. Côté oversaw many elections and referendums during his nearly two decades in this role. Two very important votes happened while he was in charge. One was the Charlottetown Accord referendum. The other was the 1995 Quebec referendum on October 30, 1995.
A Big Referendum and Challenges
The 1995 Quebec referendum was a vote about whether Quebec should become an independent country. It was a very close and exciting time.
During the lead-up to this referendum, a large rally was held in Montreal. This rally supported Quebec staying part of Canada. Mr. Côté raised concerns that some people at the rally might have broken provincial rules about spending money during the campaign. He looked into whether individuals and businesses from outside Quebec had followed the rules when helping people attend the rally.
Some people who wanted Quebec to stay in Canada disagreed with Mr. Côté's actions. They also questioned why there seemed to be many spoiled ballots in areas that supported staying in Canada. However, a later investigation looked into these concerns about Mr. Côté and the referendum. It found no evidence that he had done anything wrong.
Later Life
In 1998, Pierre F. Côté was given a special honor. He was named an officer of the National Order of Quebec. This is one of the highest honors given by the Quebec government.
Pierre F. Côté passed away on June 17, 2013. He was 85 years old.
