Polls have closed in Quebec and ballots are being counted in the province's second election in two years.

Voters braved near-record cold to cast their ballots at polling stations across the province.

The Quebec Liberal Party, the Action Démocratique du Québec and the Parti Québécois all hope to form the next government.

Liberal Leader Jean Charest called a snap election this fall on the grounds he needs a majority to steer the province through the global economic crisis. After casting his vote in Sherbrooke Monday morning, he said he hopes voters go out and "express" their choice.

"The issue in this campaign has been the economy," he said. "And that's the choice that we'll be making today – who will govern Quebec in this economic period."

Charest appealed to voters of all political stripes – from federalists to sovereigntists – to back the Liberals and ensure a majority.

Charest is seeking his third term as premier of the province.

The ADQ is hoping to hold on to its unprecedented gains made in the 2007 election, when it elected 41 members to the national assembly, gained official party status for the first time, and formed Quebec's official opposition ahead of the Parti Québécois.

Two members of the ADQ crossed the floor to join the Liberals prior to the election call Nov. 5, leaving the right-wing party with 39 seats at dissolution.

During his last campaign stretch Monday, Dumont said his party is the only one offering voters fresh ideas. "We believe those ideas, that vision of autonomy, that vision of change is the only change available to Quebec."

The PQ and Leader Pauline Marois will be looking to woo sovereigntist supporters who turned away from the separatist party in droves in the last election. "I think the most difficult [issue] in the campaign now is to fight cynicism [among] Quebecers, because Mr. Charest decided to go into the election, and the people didn't want to go."

Marois said there is no way sovereigntists will vote Liberal, despite Charest's pleas.

"The sovereigntists will not vote for 'Capitaine Canada'," she said Monday. "He did not defend our interests in Ottawa during the last federal campaign, and that is unacceptable."

Both the Green Party of Québec and upstart Québec Solidaire are banking on making a breakthrough and electing a member of the provincial legislature for the first time.

Quebec Solidaire spokesman Amir Khadir said he is confident Quebecers will show their support where it counts.

"Of course we are a new party, so at a national level, it will take time before we emerge," he said. "The obstacles that are in front of us [include] proportional vote, and our [non] participation in the leaders' debate. I'm sure this time we will do better than the last time."

According to the province's election agency, more than 5,7 million Quebecers are registered to vote. Nearly 12 per cent of registered voters cast their ballot in advance polls, up from 10.23 per cent in 2007.

There is concern the 2008 provincial election will result in the lowest voter turnout in Quebec's history.

The fall federal election left many voters apathetic about the political process, said Denis Dion, a spokesman for Quebec's election agency.

"This is a big issue this time. We heard a lot of things – people fed up with the many elections we [have] had. We even had people saying they wouldn't go voting to protest. So, because of this electoral apathy or presumed apathy, we're not sure what the turnout is going to be."

Dion also said the recent federal election has some voters apathetic about returning to the polls.