Election FAQs
Voter FAQs
When is voting day?
Voting day is Monday, October 24, 2022. The Municipality of Bayham will also be holding advance voting days. Please see the Voting - Advance Voting Information link for a full list of advance voting locations, dates and times.
When are voting hours?
Voting hours on voting day are 10 am – 8 pm. Please see the Voting - Advance Voting Information link for a full list of advance voting locations, dates and times.
Who is eligible to vote?
A person is entitled to be an elector (voter) at an election held in a local municipality, if on voting day he or she is:
- a Canadian citizen;
- at least 18 years old;
- residing in the local municipality or an owner or tenant of land there, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and
- not otherwise prohibited from voting.
Who is prohibited from voting?
The following persons cannot vote in a municipal election:
a person serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution;
a corporation; or
a person convicted of a corrupt practice for an election held within four years of voting day.
Note: A person who is acting as an executor or in any other representative capacity (e.g., power of attorney), cannot vote on behalf of the person they are representing unless they have been appointed as a voting proxy.
How is my school support determined?
General qualifications:
- is a Canadian citizen;
- is at least 18 years old;
- has not already voted in the election for school trustees elsewhere in the school board’s area of jurisdiction;
- resides in the local municipality or territory or is the owner or tenant of a residential property, or is the spouse of such owner or tenant; and
- is not otherwise prohibited from voting.
AND
English public
- be a supporter of the English-language public district school board; or
- not be a supporter of any board, nor have qualified him or herself as an elector for a separate or French language school board in the election.
English separate
must be a Roman Catholic who must:
- qualify as an elector for the English
- language separate district school board; or
- be a supporter (or be the spouse of a supporter) of the English-language separate district school board.
French public
must be a French-language rights holder (see ss. 23(1) and (2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for criteria) who must:
- qualify as an elector for the French-language public district school board; or
- be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French-language public district school board. French separate must be a Roman Catholic and a French-language rights holder (see the Charter for criteria ) who must:
- qualify as an elector for the French-language separate district school board; or
- be a supporter (or the spouse of a supporter) of the French-language separate district school board.
What if I cannot make it to the voting place on voting day?
Voters who are not available to vote on voting day can instead vote at the advance polls. Please see the Voting & Advance Voting Information for a full list of advance voting locations, dates and times. Voters can also appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf. Please see Appointing a Proxy for further information.
Can a person in prison vote?
No. A person who is serving a sentence in prison is not entitled to vote.
My family owns a cottage. Can I vote in that municipality?
In order to qualify as a non-resident voter, you (or your spouse) must be the owner or tenant of the property. If a family member who is not your spouse is the owner, and you have use of the cottage, you would not qualify as a non-resident voter. If the cottage is owned by a trust, you would not qualify as a non-resident voter.
My company owns a property in another municipality. Can I vote there?
If the business is the owner of the property, you would not qualify as a non-resident voter.
I live in one municipality and own property in another municipality. Do I have to choose which municipality to vote in?
You are eligible to vote in the municipality where you live, and the municipality where you qualify as a non-resident voter. You can vote in both municipalities. If both municipalities are in the same school board, you can only vote for school trustee in one municipality.
Where do I vote?
You may vote at any municipal Voting or Advanced Voting location.
Do I get time off work to vote?
You are entitled to three consecutive hours in which to vote on voting day. If your job requires you to work hours that would not give you a three-hour period in which to vote, you are allowed to be absent from your job for enough time to give you that three-hour period. Your employer may decide when it would be most convenient for you to be absent in order to vote.
Note: This does not mean that you are entitled to take three hours off of work.
Do I need to show ID to vote?
Yes, a list of acceptable identification can be found online.
What if I forget my ID?
If you are on the voters' list, you can still vote by completing and signing a declaration that you are the person whose name appears on the list.
If you are not on the voters' list, you will need to attend the Municipal Office to be added to the list before voting, and will need to provide identification.
How do I get on the voters’ list?
The voters’ list is put together for each election based on information that is held by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).
You can be added to the Voters' List by completing an Application to Amend the Voters' List form. This form can be completed at the Municipal Office, during regular business hours. In order to be added to the list, a person must show proof of Canadian citizenship, name and qualifying address.
I’m on the voters’ list, but my information is wrong. Can I get it corrected?
You can have your information corrected up until the close of voting on voting day.
You can correct your information on the Voters' List by completing an Application to Amend the Voters' List form. This form can be completed at the Municipal Office during regular business hours.
I don’t want my name on the voters’ list. Can I get it removed?
You can have your name removed from the voters’ list, but you will not be able to vote unless you have your name put back on the list.
Candidate FAQs
Who is qualified to run for Mayor or Council?
A candidate for municipal office must, upon nomination, be a qualified municipal elector and fulfil all of the following requirements:
- a resident of the municipality,
- a non resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such non-resident owner or tenant;
- a Canadian citizen;
- at least 18 years old;
- not legally prohibited from voting; and
- not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.
Note: A candidate, if nominated, must remain qualified throughout the election and, if elected, throughout the term of office.
Who is NOT qualified to run for Mayor or Council?
The following persons are disqualified from being elected to municipal office:
- any person not eligible to vote in the municipality;
- an employee of a municipality unless he or she takes an unpaid leave of absence before being nominated, and resigns, if elected to the office;
- a judge of any court;
- a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a Senator or a member of the House of Commons;
- an inmate of a penal or correctional institution under sentence of imprisonment.
When can I file my nomination?
Nominations start on Monday, May 2, 2022 and will close at 2 pm on Friday, August 19, 2022.
How can I apply to run for office?
Nomination forms can be obtained online here or by visiting the Municipal Office.
A nomination paper must be filed in person by the candidate or by an agent.
- The nomination paper must have original signatures.
- The nomination paper may not be faxed, mailed or emailed.
- Either the candidate or the agent must bring the completed and signed nomination papers to the office of the Clerk.
- The candidate will be required to show proof of identity and qualifications.
- The prescribed nomination filing fee must be paid at the time of filing the nomination.
Payment to the municipality must be made by cash, debit card, or certified cheque. (No credit card or uncertified cheque)
The nomination filing fee is:
- $200 for the office of head of council; or
- $100 for all other offices.
Note: A candidate is entitled to a refund of the filing fee if he or she:
- is elected;
- receives more than two per cent of the votes cast for the office; or
- withdraws the nomination before nomination day.
Can I run for more than 1 office?
Candidates can only be nominated for one office on a municipal council or school board in the Province of Ontario at a time. If a person is nominated for a second office, the first nomination is deemed to be withdrawn.
How can I withdraw my candidacy?
If a candidate decides to withdraw from the election, he or she must notify the Clerk in writing no later than 2 pm on nomination day (Friday, August 19, 2022).
A candidate who withdraws before nomination day is entitled to a refund of the nomination filing fee. A candidate who withdraws is still required to submit a completed financial disclosure covering all financial transactions made up to the date the nomination was withdrawn.
Can I contribute to more than one candidate?
Yes, you may make contributions to more than one candidate. However, your contributions to candidates running for office on the same council or the same school board may not exceed $5,000.
When can I start accepting campaign funds?
Your campaign starts when you file your nomination. You cannot accept funds before filing your nomination.
Can I run in a different ward than the one where I live?
As long as you are eligible to vote in the municipality, you may run in any ward. If you do run in a ward where you do not live, you will not be able to vote for yourself.
Can I use my campaign office as my qualifying address so that I can vote for myself?
No. If you are a resident voter (you live in the municipality), you must vote in the ward where you reside. You cannot choose to vote in a different ward where you may own or rent another property.
Can I pay for campaign expenses using my credit card?
The legislation says that all campaign expenses must be paid from the campaign bank account. If you pay for goods and services using a credit card, you should be sure to reimburse the expense promptly from the campaign account, and to keep records that show that the expense was paid from the campaign account.
Can I claim campaign expenses on my income tax?
No. Municipal and school board campaign expenses cannot be credited against provincial or federal income taxes.
Can I issue tax receipts to people who contribute to my campaign?
Contributions to municipal and school board campaigns cannot be credited against provincial or federal income taxes.
Can I hold a joint fundraiser or campaign event with another candidate?
You can, but you must make sure that expenses are divided between the campaigns, and that each contribution received is clearly directed to a specific candidate.