General context of the study
 
 
- Electoral campaign: October 30 - November 30
- Three major political parties:
- 
- ruling Parti Quebecois (P.Q.) center- left, nationalist party
- contending Liberal Party (Lib.) center-right, federalist party
- most important third party, ADQ, right, taking the protest vote
 
- 15 public polls (response rates around 60%, except 2 at 20%) put the P.Q. ahead, an average lead of 6 points in the last 5 surveys of the campaign.