Municipal Election Update - October 3, 2018
The 2018 municipal election will take place for Penetanguishene from October 9 to 22 and, while the election of a mayor, deputy mayor, seven councillors and school board trustees won’t change, the way those individuals are selected will. This will mark the first election Penetanguishene will be using internet and telephone voting as the sole method of submitting ballots.
The Voter Letters which will include a voter ID and pin number were put into the mail for those on the Voters List on September 20, 2018. If you did not get your voter letter, you can go online https://www.penetanguishene.ca/en/townhall/2018-election.asp to our voter registration portal to find out if you are on the list, check if your information is correct, and add yourself if you aren’t there. You can also visit Townhall to be added to the voters list. You will require ID with a qualifying address to be added to the list. (view a list of acceptable identification) During the voting period (Oct 9-22) Voters will go onto the designated website listed on the letter or call the designated phone number and submit the ID and PIN and their birthdate and be able to vote for candidates.
It is important to note that stealing and opening another person’s mail is illegal. It is also illegal to represent yourself as another person and steal their right to vote in an election. Both of these acts are illegal and have penalties (fines and imprisonment) defined by law. If you know someone has voted a PIN illegally you should report it to the election officials which will then be reported to the Ontario Provincial Police and investigated fully. If a Voter Letter has been delivered to your home in error due to a death or that the previous resident has moved, please return the letter to Townhall or call 705-549-7453. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) provides the provincially legislated list of voters to the municipality. You can also call MPAC at 1 866 296-6722 to ensure the information they have is correct including the names of those living in your home as well as your school board support.
There will be a Help Centre at Townhall open from Tuesday October 9-19 during regular business hours (8:30am to 4:30pm - with the exception of Tuesday October 9, voting starts at 9am) and on Monday October 22 until 8pm and municipal staff will be available at town hall to assist residents who do not have access to the internet. The Help Centre will also be open two Saturdays of the voting period – October 13 and 20 from 12pm to 4pm for those who can’t make it in during the week.
Another significant change voters should be aware of for Penetanguishene is the removal of Ward Boundaries. In 2015 Council voted to remove the existing wards from the Municipal Election. All voters will be able to vote for a Mayor, Deputy Mayor and seven Councillors.
There has been some confusion about the Mayoral race considering the fact that Mayor Gerry Marshall resigned in August. As per the Municipal Elections Act (section 36 and 39) the 2018 Municipal Election ballot will include two names for the Mayor’s office: Douglas Leroux and Gerry Marshall. If on Election Day, the candidate who gets the most votes declines their seat at the Inaugural meeting, the seat would be declared vacant at the next regular meeting, and the newly elected Council would need to decide if they would like to appoint someone or proceed with a by-election. The Municipal Act (section 259-5) determines the options for a vacant seat, and it’s a Council decision to pick which option they want.
For more information about the Municipal Election, you can visit our website election page. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 705-549-7453 or by email at elections@penetanguishene.ca.