Montreal

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard calls 4 byelections for Dec. 5

Voters in Arthabaska, Saint-Jérôme, Verdun and Marie-Victorin will head to the polls in provincial byelections in early December.

Vote will be test for new Parti Québécois Leader Jean-François Lisée

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard called byelections in four ridings. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

Voters in four Quebec ridings will head to the polls in provincial byelections in early December.

Premier Philippe Couillard made the announcement in Quebec City today.

The ridings are Arthabaska, Saint-Jérôme, Verdun and Marie-Victorin.

The byelections on Dec. 5 will be the first test for new Parti Québécois Leader Jean-François Lisée.

 Saint-Jérôme has been vacant since former PQ leader Pierre Karl Péladeau's resignation earlier this year.

The governing Liberals have 69 of the 125 seats in the national assembly, compared with 28 for the PQ, 20 for the Coalition Avenir Québec and three for Québec solidaire. There is also one sitting Independent.