The election campaign in Quebec began on Sunday and the residents will head to the polls on October 3rd. Here is a look at the five parties competing to form the next provincial government:

* Coalition Avenir Québec: The ruling party (76 seats) led by François Legault. In 2018, the coalition, also known as CAQ, took power for the first time. The center-right party, founded in 2011, aimed to move beyond the independence debate by promoting Quebec nationalism instead of separation.

* Quebec Liberal Party: The official opposition party (27 seats) led by Dominique Anglade. The Liberal party has always positioned itself as a defender of federalism and the economy.

* Québec solidaire: The third opposition party (7 seats), led by Saint-Pierre Blamondon.

The 2018 election was only the second time since 1973 that the party was not elected as the government of Quebec or official opposition.

* Conservative Party of Quebec: (one seat) led by Éric Duhaime, the Conservative Party of Quebec received less than 2% of the vote in the 2018 election.

* Québec solidaire: The second opposition party (10 seats) led by Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Manon Massé.

Québec solidaire does not have a traditional leader; instead, it appoints a woman and a man as co-spokespersons.