Voters in Quebec City's Louis-Hbert riding go to polls today after turbulent campaign

The runup to today's byelection race for former provincial cabinet minister Sam Hamad'sold seat in the Quebec City riding of Louis-Hbert has been a rough one.

The candidates for the two main political parties jostling for the riding the Liberals and Coalition Avenir Qubec (CAQ) were both ousted mid-campaign.

Their short-order replacements now find themselvesin a pool of 10 contenders for the riding.

• Liberal and CAQ candidates drop out of Louis-Hbertbyelection

When the campaign kicked off on a month ago, communications specialist ric Ttrault represented the Liberals, the party that's held the seat for 14 years.

Banker Normand Sauvageau was carrying the banner for the CAQ, theLiberals' main rival in the contest.

Both were forced to step down within hours of each other, after allegations surfaced over their past workplace behaviour.

"It's certainly not good news for either of them. It does have a 'pox on both their houses' kind of effect," said ric Grenier, the CBC's pollinganalyst.

Grenier said the fact that both parties experienced the same problem with the first candidates theypicked could even out the damage, although some voters could start looking at other candidates on the ballot.

2 female candidates take the reigns

The early campaign upheaval follows Hamad's resignation from the reigning Liberal government last spring. He had been shut out of cabinet for a year, after his political career was shaken by talk of ethical wrong-doing.

• Sam Hamad's former aide looks to take his place inLouis-Hbertbyelection

The new Liberal contender, Ihssane El Ghernati, who once worked as his political aide, is hoping to use herhistory with Hamadto heradvantage.

She's said her job gives her a profound knowledge of the riding, where she also lives, and its constituents.

"I will be ready to keep serving them, just like I have been for several years," she said in a debate on Radio-Canada last week.

Nonetheless, her campaign got off to a rocky moment when she promised to negotiate the relocation of the controversial Anacolor paint plant within the next yeara pledge Liberal Environment Minister David Heurtel later distanced himself from, even though they are members of the same party.

CAQ candidate running yearearlier than planned

The Quebec coroner's former spokesperson, Genevive Guilbault, had expected to run for the CAQ in a different Quebec City riding in the 2018 provincial election, but has pushed her plans forward,running while six months pregnant.

She is telling voters that, if elected, she will not take more than four months of maternity leave. However, she is trying to keep the focus of the campaign on politics.

"The Liberals have been in power for too long. Citizens are telling me this a lot. We have to send a strong message to the Liberal government," she said.

Plenty of competition

Other political partiessee the political commotion that rocked the byelection campaign as a potential opportunity. Qubec Solidaire and the Parti Qubcoissteppedup their campaigns.

"There's a real chance," said PQ leader Jean-Franois Lise, who's been campaigning with his candidate, biologist Normand Beauregard. "I have been inLouis-Hbertsix times now."

"I think it's a race between the three: the Liberals, the CAQ, and us. And, I am feeling confident," he said.

Guillaume Boivin is running for Qubec Solidaire.

Polls in the riding close at 8 p.m. ET.

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