Municipal election hopefuls now eligible to file candidates

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Nominations for this fall’s municipal elections are now open.

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As of Monday in Windsor, those interested in running for city council or school board trustee could download or pick up candidate packages from city hall and file for candidacy.

“We’re here and we’re ready,” Terri Knight Lepain, the city’s manager of records and elections, told the Star. “If people want to come down and register, we’re more than happy to see them.”

Council and mayoral candidates need to collect 25 signatures from people endorsing their run for office. However, Knight Lepain encouraged them to collect a few extras in case any of those 25 signatories fill out the form incorrectly.

If someone is thinking about running, the first thing they should do is check out windsoelections.ca, she said. There, the city has compiled a slew of resources, including a candidate’s guide and a candidate information video recorded during a public info session last week.

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Individuals can book an appointment to file their candidacy at city hall or to pick up a hard copy of the candidate’s package through the same webpage.

To qualify for candidacy, an individual must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old. They must also not be legally prohibited from voting, and not be disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

Aspiring school board trustees must live within the jurisdiction of their respective school boards, while council and mayoral hopefuls must live in Windsor, own or rent land in the city, or be the spouse of someone who owns or rents land in the city.

Those disqualified from running for council include judges, provincial and federal politicians and senators, and candidates who failed to file the necessary financial statement in the last municipal election.

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Anyone running for mayor must pay a $200 fee, while those seeking school board trustee or councilor positions must pay $100.

Nominations close on Aug. 19, just over two months before election day on Oct. 24.

Whether the pandemic will impact election day is hard to say, Knight Lepain said.

“The pandemic is ever-changing — we definitely have all the (personal protective equipment) we need, we have pandemic protocols in place,” she said. “So, we’re essentially planning for the worst… but hoping for the best.”

During the Ward 7 byelection in 2020, the city introduced a drive-thru polling station at the WFCU Center, “which seemed to be hugely successful,” and which the city intends to offer again, she said.

While schools have historically been used as polling stations, schools won’t be considered for this election because of the pandemic, as was the case in the most recent federal election.

The four-year term of office for council and school board trustees began on Dec. 1, 2018, and ends on Nov. 14 of this year.

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