Elections
Visit our Elections website!
We have created an Elections website to provide you with all the information you need about the upcoming 2022 Municipal Election. Please refer to it for the most up-to-date information for voters, Candidates, and Third Party Advertisers. You may also contact us at 519-485-0477 or 519-877-2702 and our staff would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
2022 Municipal Election
Municipal Elections take place every four years in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act. The next regular Municipal Election to elect a Mayor, Councillors, and School Board Trustees will be on October 24, 2022. The current term of Council ends in November of 2022.
- 2018 Municipal Election Results - View the Election Results.
- Read the 2022 Internet and Telephone Voting Policies and Procedures to learn more about the voting methods being used in the 2022 Municipal Election.
Nominations
The first day that nominations could be filed for the next regular election was Monday, May 2, 2022. Nomination Day, the deadline to file a nomination, was on Friday, August 19, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
We have created a 2022 SWOX Candidate Guide to provide you with all the information you need when considering whether you want to run for municipal office. Nomination Papers are available at the front counter, at the Township Office, as of Monday, May 2, 2022. Please see our Media Release - April 27, 2022 - Nominations Open for 2022 Municipal Election for more details.
Candidate Financial Statements
The Township of South-West Oxford is required to make all Candidate's financial statements available at no charge for viewing by the public on a website or in another electronic format in accordance with Section 88 (9.1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Completed financial statements are required to be filed with the Clerk no later than 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023 on the prescribed form.
Election Accessibility
The Township is committed to conducting an election that accommodates, encourages participation, and inspires the confidence of all persons in the voting process. If you have any concerns about the accessibility of the election, please contact the Clerk at 519-485-0477 ext. 7023 or via email.
You can view the Township of South-West Oxford Municipal Election Accessibility Plan for more information.
Information for Voters |
A person is entitled to be an elector at an election held in the Township if, on Election Day, the person is:
Between April and August of 2022, municipal enumerations will be conducted by MPAC in order to prepare a preliminary list of electors for the Township. If you have moved since the last election in 2018, or have not confirmed your citizenship through MPAC, you may not be on the list. The Township encourages all voters to participate in MPAC’s 2022 municipal enumeration. Are you on the Voter's List? |
Internet and Telephone Voting |
Township Council approved the use of Internet and Telephone voting methods for the 2022 Municipal Election. This voting method was previously used in the 2018 Municipal Election. These voting methods replaced the Vote-By-Mail method used during the 2014 Municipal Election. Internet and telephone voting is fast and convenient, and will give voters the opportunity to cast their ballots from anywhere using a computer, smart phone, tablet, or touchtone telephone 24-hours a day throughout the eleven-day voting period. Whether an elector is away on personal travel, suffering from an illness, working days or nights, has a disability or difficulty travelling, they may cast their ballot from anywhere with an internet connection or a telephone. Additionally, voters will no longer need to get in their cars and travel to polling locations, reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and no ballots will need to be printed which reduces the amount of paper needed for the election. Telephone voting is comparable to telephone banking and is like Internet voting. However, voters make their selections by touchtone phone. Telephone voting is not compatible with rotary dial phones. During the voting period, Township staff will be available to help voters by phone or at the Voter Help Centre to check to see if they are on the voters' list, add or amend their information on the list, help them to use a computer to vote, or to answer any questions about the election or voting process. |
Information for Candidates |
The Nomination Period for the next Municipal Election opened on May 2, 2022 and closed on Nomination Day, August 19th, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. A Candidate for municipal office must, upon nomination, be a qualified municipal elector in the Township and fulfill the following requirements:
For the upcoming Election, new requirements under the Municipal Elections Act require that anyone wishing to run for office as a member of Council submit signatures of at least 25 eligible voters supporting their nomination to run for office. The campaign period begins when Candidates file their Nomination Papers (May 2nd to August 19th) and officially ends on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Candidates may not accept donations, spend money, or advertise until they file their nomination. If you are interested in running for office, you are encouraged to view the Candidates' Guide prepared by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Additional information including important dates can be found on AMCTO's Elections Calendar. More information for Candidates and voters will continue to become available. Questions may be directed to Julie Middleton, Clerk at 519-485-0477 ext. 7023 or via email. |
Candidate Forms and Additional Information |
The following forms are required to be submitted with the Clerk to file your nomination. Nominations must be filed by 2:00 p.m. on August 19, 2022:
Anyone interested in running for office is encouraged to read the following resources which will provide you with more information on running for office: |
Running an Accessible Campaign |
Candidates must also have regard to the needs of electors with disabilities. Campaign offices, election materials, and canvassing should all be reviewed in order to ensure that they are fully accessible. The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario has released several quick reference documents to assist Candidates with accessible elections considerations:
|
Frequently Asked Questions |
When is the 2022 Municipal Election?
What is the first day Candidates can file their Nomination Papers?
When will Nomination Papers be made available?
When is the last day a Candidate can file their Nomination Papers?
How do I file Nomination Papers?
How do I withdraw my nomination?
What is a Third Party Advertiser?
What is the timeframe for Third Party Advertisers to register?
Where and how is the Voters' List provided?
When can I start campaigning?
How do I know if I am disqualified from holding office?
How does a Candidate choose which Ward to run in? Do you have to live in the Ward you are running in?
What is the definition of a, "Residence"? In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 a person’s, "Residence" is, “the permanent lodging place to which, whenever absent, he or she intends to return”. The following rules apply in determining a person’s, "Residence":
Are there limitations on entering apartment buildings after submitting Nomination Papers?
Access to residential premises 88.1 No person who is in control of an apartment building, condominium building, non-profit housing cooperative or gated community may prevent a candidate or his or her representative from campaigning between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. at the doors to the apartments, units or houses, as the case may be. Display of signs at residential premises 88.2 (1) No landlord or person acting on a landlord’s behalf may prohibit a tenant from displaying signs in relation to an election on the premises to which the lease relates. Same, condominium corporations (2) No condominium corporation or any of its agents may prohibit the owner or tenant of a condominium unit from displaying signs in relation to an election on the premises of his or her unit. Exception (3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), a landlord, person, condominium corporation or agent may set reasonable conditions relating to the size or type of signs in relation to an election that may be displayed on the premises and may prohibit the display of signs in relation to an election in common areas of the building in which the premises are found. Same (4) Despite subsection (3), no landlord, person, condominium corporation or agent may prohibit the display of signs in relation to an election in common areas of the building if space in the building is being used as a voting place. The legislation regarding the rights of candidates to enter apartment buildings, condominiums, and non-profits for the purposes of canvassing can also be found in the Condominium Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, Chapter 19, Residential Tenancies Act , 2006, S.O. 2006, Chapter 17 and Co-operative Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter C.35 How are students counted towards votes?
How do I find out how many people are running in a Ward?
Is it possible to file Nomination Papers online?
Are qualifications only at the time of the nomination or throughout the election?
How do Candidates prove the Voters' List has been destroyed after the Election?
How do I determine which name goes on the ballot?
I filed my Nomination Papers; can I assume my name will appear on the ballot?
|
Third Party Advertising |
Third Party Advertisers are required to register prior to incurring any expenses for the appearance of a Third Party Advertisement, and must comply with the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act including filing a financial statement as well as spending and contribution limits. A registered Third Party Advertiser may be an individual, corporation, or trade union that has registered with the Clerk of the municipality where they want to advertise. If they want to advertise in more than one municipality, they have to register in each municipality they plan to advertise in.
A Third Party Advertisement may be a message in any broadcast, print, electronic, or other medium that has the purpose of promoting, supporting, or opposing a candidate in the election or a question on the ballot. Third Party Advertisements are required to contain the following information:
For more information, view the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's 2022 Guide for Third Party Advertisers. To register in South-West Oxford, the Notice of Registration - Third Party - Form 7 must be filed in-person with the Township of South-West Oxford Clerk at the Township Office located at 312915 Dereham Line, Mount Elgin, ON. |