Slide Deck: Municipal Elections

How do municipal elections work How do municipal elections work? How do voters decide on how to vote in an election?

What is an Election? Elections are contests of leadership, ideas, politics and power, where interested individuals campaign for our vote. Municipal elections provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss and debate the future direction of their community and choose their political representatives.

What is a candidate? An individual competes for the job of a politician is called a candidate Candidates “run for office” At the federal level and the provincial level, most candidates are associated with a political party At the municipal level, there are no political parties. Each candidate runs independently.

What is an electoral (voting) system What is an electoral (voting) system? Which system do we use for municipal elections?

An electoral system or voting system is the way in which voters are able to express their choices and how the winners are determined. Different voting systems exist around the world.

Electing Municipal Councils Council members can be elected in two ways: At-large – by all eligible voters in the municipality. By ward – where the municipality is broken down into smaller geographic areas that elect one or more representatives for each ward. The head of council (mayor or reeve) is always elected at large.

Examples of Ward Systems

First-Past-the-Post Most municipalities in Manitoba uses a system called First-Past-the-Post (FPTP). A successful candidate must receive the most votes in order to be elected. If there are six council members to be elected at-large, the six candidates with the most number of votes are elected and the other candidates do not get a spot on council.

Acclamation The number of candidates running for a position can range from one to many. If a candidate has no opponents, or if the number of candidates match the number of council seats to be filled, the candidate(s) win automatically and there is no election. This means the candidates are elected by acclamation.

Becoming a Candidate To become a candidate in a municipal election in Manitoba, you must be: • a Canadian citizen • at least 18 years of age on election day • a resident of Manitoba • a voter in the municipality in which you are seeking office * to qualify as a voter you must be a resident or property owner in the municipality for at least six months before election day

How can I learn about the election candidates?

Getting to know the Candidates There are many ways to learn about the election candidates: Look online for candidate websites or social media pages Election coverage in the news (local newspapers, media websites, flyers, news broadcasts) Town halls or all-candidate debates in the community, campaign events, door-to-door canvassing when candidates knock on doors

Your Own Political Views Your political views are built based on how you experience life, combined with your changing values, opinions and perspectives. Your views are also shaped by talking to people and listening to their opinions, following the news and reflecting on your values and what matters to you.

Final Thoughts What did you learn through this process? What did you find interesting? What did you find challenging? How will you approach it differently in the future? Do you feel ready to vote? How did your research make you feel more confident in your decision? What else would you like to know about the candidates? Which factors do you think are the most important when deciding who you will vote for?