American and Quebec Electoral Systems: Comparative analysis and legal implications of the 2024 Elections

Me Olivier Cournoyer Boutin holds a bachelor’s degree in civil law and common law from McGill University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Université Laval. A member of the Barreau du Québec since 2011, he has been working as a lawyer for the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec since 2015, representing them before all judicial courts in Quebec in matters of administrative, constitutional, civil, and penal law. This role has allowed him to develop extensive experience in electoral law, including political financing rules, election organization, and electoral district delimitation. Additionally, he serves as a lecturer in legislative drafting for a graduate microprogram offered by the Faculty of Law at Université Laval and as a trainer in the Training Path for Investigators of the Quebec Public Administration, also offered by Université Laval. He is frequently invited to speak at conferences, notably during the first two editions of the Symposium of the Barreau du Québec on Recent Developments in Public Integrity. He is also a member of the electoral committee of the Barreau du Québec.

William J. Kresse is one of three Commissioners on the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, the independent agency that runs elections in the City of Chicago. Kresse is also an Associate Professor in the College of Business of Governors State University. He is an attorney, a Certified Public Accountant / Certified in Financial Forensics, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Forensic Accountant. He is President of the Institute of Election Auditors. His professional background includes a clerkship with the U.S. District Court in Chicago and experience as a certified public accountant-auditor with Deloitte. Committed to democracy, he serves as special counsel to the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Election Law and is a member of the Advisory Board of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on American Democracy. He is also an advisor to the Uniform Law Commission’s Committee on Election Law. His contributions to the field have earned him several honors, including “Educator of the Year” from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the “Unsung Hero of Democracy” award from the American Bar Association.