Unit 6: Municipal Elections

What is an election? Why do we have elections?

What is an Election? • The process for choosing politicians through a vote • A chance for citizens to participate in political decision- making and have a voice in the future of the community • An opportunity to talk about important issues in the community and potential solutions • The time period when candidates communicate their message and ideas, and try to gain support from voters • Voters must learn about the candidates and mark their choice on a ballot

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 a voting system? Which system do we use for municipal elections?

A 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 in single-tier or lower-tier municipalities.

Examples of Ward Systems Toronto Peterborough Ottawa

First-Past-the-Post Most municipalities in Ontario uses a system called First-Past-the-Post (FPTP). A successful candidate must receive the most votes in order to be elected. In some cases, more than one candidate is elected. This is called a multi-member election. For example, if there are six council members elected at-large, the six candidates with the most number of votes are elected.

Ranked Ballots Recent changes have been made to the law which give municipalities the choice of using ranked ballots in municipal elections. The City of the London is the first municipality to use ranked ballots. More municipalities may choose this option in the future.

Ranked Ballots – How does it work? In a ranked ballot election, you rank candidates in order of preference (first choice, second choice, etc.). Each winning candidate must receive more than half of the votes (50% + 1). If all the first choice votes are counted and one candidate does not have a majority, then the candidate with the fewest number of votes is eliminated and the ballots are counted again, this time using the next second choice from ballots where the first choice candidate was eliminated. This keeps going until a winner is determined.

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.

How can I learn about the election candidates?

Getting to know the Candidates There are many ways to learn about the election candidates: Candidate websites or social media pages Candidate campaign literature (flyers) Election coverage in the news (local newspapers, media websites, 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 developed from your experiences, 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 Which issues are most important in the upcoming election and why? Which candidate(s) most align with your views? What do you think has shaped your political views the most? Why is it important to respect others viewpoints even if they different from your own?