Dumont 'serene' about leaving ADQ top spot

Outgoing Action Démocratique Leader Mario Dumont said he is optimistic for the future of his party and at peace with his decision to leave its helm.

The ADQ emerged from Monday night's election with just seven seats in Quebec's provincial legislature, after forming the Official Opposition last year with 41 elected members.

The Liberals won a majority with 66 seats, with the Parti Québécois taking 51 seats.

Dumont said he decided before election day that he would step down as ADQ leader and feels "serene" about his choice after watching his popularity plummet throughout the campaign.

"It's not me personally," he told reporters at a Wednesday news conference in Quebec City. "I have to accept that without taking it personally, realize you've taken it to a certain point, this is your contribution, that's far from bad or negligible."

"I would have liked to have pushed [the party] further, I would have like to have left it with more members in the national assembly — but people made their decision, and I'm comfortable with my decision."

The ADQ has deeper roots in Quebec than many believe, and Dumont said there is a future for its fiscally and socially-conservative ideas.

"Our convictions are rooted in the people," he said.

Dumont had no clear explanation for why past ADQ supporters shrunk in this week's election, except that "we weren't able to convince them this time that it was worth coming to vote for us."

"I wish the best for Quebec, for Quebec's population. But I think that the coming years will be hard," he admitted. "Some days, I tend to believe the people will feel the ADQ's ideas were right and maybe necessary."

ADQ leader won't say whether politics is his future

Dumont said he's prepared to help other members of his caucus rebuild the right-wing party but promised not to be an overbearing "mother-in-law."

Whether politics will be part of his future remains to be seen, but he has no intention at this time of wading into the federal scene, and said he did not speak to Prime Minister Stephen Harper following Monday's provincial election.

Dumont said he'd remain a member of the Quebec national assembly representing Rivière-du-Loup until the time is right.

Dumont's ADQ colleague Éric Caire has already expressed interest in succeeding the leader, but said he's still weighing his options.

Elections office looks at ways to increase voter turnout

Monday's historically low voter turnout is a main preoccupation for the province's elections director, Marcel Blanchet.

Only 56.7 per cent of registered voters cast ballots, despite extended advanced polls, resulting in the lowest turnout since 1927.

Blanchet said he believes it may be easier to encourage people to vote if election day was on Sunday, which would bypass the need to give employees time off, and would avoid professional development days at schools where polling stations are located.

Internet voting is also an option, but online security is a major concern, Blanchet said Wednesday.