Live blogging the Quebec election:

If you didn't know yet, I love elections. Find them fascinating. Want to spend my life studying them and working on them and this Quebec 2007 provincial election had been fascinating.

The rise of l'Action dmocratique du Quebec (l'equipe Mario Dumont) has blown apart the Quebec party system. Should be a great night.

9:00 p.m.

Dumont and the ADQ lead in seats. OK, no one saw this coming.

ADQ 45 (30% of the vote), Liberals 44 (33% of the vote) and PQ 35 (30% of the vote), wtf!

ADQ in third, but leading in seats!

I called it on Democratic Space in a comment page the other day, but predict Charest really wishes he had pushed electoral reform through tonight!

9:10 p.m.

CBC calls a minority government. Duh!

9:15 p.m.

CBC just did live look-ins to the ADQ and Liberal HQs in Sherbrooke and Riviere-du-Loup. Totally different scenes, dead in the Eastern Townships, euphoria in Eastern Quebec.

Now the ADQ are ahead in both seats and votes. Boisclair has mortally wounded the separatist movement if these numbers hold. Surely, there are still lots of close races and this can go anyways still. Only 18% of the polls so far, so no need to call it yet.

ADQ 48 (32% of the vote), Liberals 41 (31% of the vote) and PQ 36 (29% of the vote).

9:20 p.m.

Cut to PQ HQ. Doesn't seem too lively there. CBC reports Boisclair is in trouble unless his numbers improve. Duh!

The CBC panel of average voters as flummoxed, as am I. Should be a long night.

9:25 p.m.

CBC finally cuts to the race I'm most interested in, Mercier.

Turp (PQ) 1706, Khadir (Quebec Solidaire) 1576.

Soyons lucides Mercier, votons Solidaires!

9:30 p.m.

Apparently people at Charest's party in Sherbrooke are talking about what these results mean for Ottawa. The CBC reporter notes it's assumed there that Harper is very happy with the results.

9:45 p.m.

Apparently, PQ "senior strategists" are seen crying openly.

Charest still losing to the PQ in Sherbrooke. QS still behind in Mercier, but only by 100 votes, still possible to dream. Couillard the last Liberal standing in la capitale nationale.

Discussion of Dumont's team. CBC English TV is not as confident in their abilities as les Quebecois are. Libs are up 47-43-35. ADQ supporters still partying like rockstars!

10:00 p.m.

ADQ elected in Saint-Jean, the bellwhether riding that has elected a government member every election since 1942. PQ lead in Sherbrooke expanding.

Liberals still leading in popular vote. Liberal pointy head in Sherbrooke makes clear that Jean Charest will will be leading the Liberal government. Seems a little wishful at this point ...

CBC panel notes that this will likely be an "unstable minority". Note to self: have to do an entire blog entry on how PR would ensure stability. Turp's lead in Mercier is now 600, with about 60% of the polls in :(

Liberals still in seat lead. Turnover in l'assemblee nationale will be crazy this time, maybe even 50%. Apparently, its average age will decline as lots of ADQ candidates are younger. Oh, and also the number of women will decline apparently. We'll have to get back to that point ...

10:15 p.m.

Guy in CBC voters' panel makes great point, Charest lost the middle class.

At Liberal HQ, they won't even talk about working with the ADQ. Deck chairs are arranged.

CBC projects Liberal minority government. Charest won't let them see him watch the results, probably because he's still losing his riding. They say the ADQ is now second, the PQ can't catch them.

10:30 p.m.

CBC calls Mercier. PQ hold. Looks like the progressive, environmentalist, feminist left, which garnered about 3-4% of the vote, will be shut out of the legislature.

CBC calls Sherbrooke - Charest goes down! As the CBC panel notes, Charest is likely still premier, but can he stay on? I bet that he resigns and opens a Liberal leadership race.

I'm taking a break for this live blog but will be back in a bit when things look more solid.

11:25 p.m.

Apparently, Charest's back in the lead. News from Sherbrooke is that dastardly separatists were holding back the advance polls.

Dumont makes his appearance in Riv-du-Loup. Figured he'd wait longer. ADQ supporters go apeshit!

12:30 p.m.

Looks like the pudgy little f**ker pulled it out. He won his seat and held on to power, just barely.

LIB			47	32.95%
ADQ			42	30.87%
PQ			36	28.37%

Will be lots of interesting stuff to discuss tomorrow. Who are those ADQ candidates? Apparently, a 23-year old student won.