Becoming a Candidate
Candidate Information Candidate's Packages will be available at the End of April 2022
If you are considering running for Municipal Office, you can learn more with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) - Lead from Where you Live: A Guide to Running for Municipal Election
The Regional Municipality of Niagara is offering a series of workshops that will help women and underrespresented groups feel informed and educated when making the decision to run for a local government. Learn more about the Seat at the Table program on the Niagara Region's website.
Please review the Government of Ontario's 2022 Candidate Guide for Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections.
Becoming a Candidate
If a person wishes to run as a candidate in the upcoming 2022 Municipal Election, they must first file Nomination Papers with the City Clerk. The first day to file Nomination Papers for the 2022 Municipal Election is May 2, 2022.
A person is not permitted to raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have filed their Nomination Papers. (The Nomination Paper Form will be available online shortly before the Nomination Period opens as it is provided by the Province of Ontario).
Before running for a seat on Council, it is important for the individual to understand the role of Council. The following information is being provided to assist individuals in understanding the roles of Council (as a collective), Mayor and Councillors. A Guide will be provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs closer to the Nomination Period.
Who CAN be a Candidate? |
To run as a candidate you must:
To run as a candidate for a school board trustee position you must ensure you meet any other qualifications to vote for the school board and be a resident in the area of jurisdiction of the board you are seeking office to. In municipal elections in Ontario, candidates are not elected as members of a political party. |
Who CANNOT be a Candidate? |
The following people are disqualified from being elected as a member of council, or from holding office as a member of council:
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Filing a Nomination |
Candidates can register for nominations in-person by visiting the Office of the City Clerk between May 2, 2022 and August 18, 2022 during regular office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). On August 19, 2022 nominations will be accepted between 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Due to the complexity of the filing process, prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to book an appointment with the City Clerk, on our online booking system.
A person cannot raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have FILED the nomination paper. A nomination paper must be filed in person by either the candidate or an agent of the candidate. The candidate’s declaration of qualification must be taken before a Commissioner of Oaths. Staff of the Office of the City Clerk can administer this oath. If an agent is filing the nomination paper on behalf of a candidate, the candidate’s declaration of qualification must be commissioned by any commissioner of oaths, prior to the agent filing the paper. Candidates are required to show proof of identity and qualifying address within the City of Thorold at the time of filing. Under the Municipal Elections Act, the City Clerk is required to reject or certify the nominations of candidates on or before 4:00 p.m. on August 22, 2022. A candidate who wishes to withdraw their nomination, must notify the Clerk in writing by 2:00 p.m. on August 19, 2022. The withdrawal may not be faxed or scanned. The candidate must submit a financial statement including all financial transactions up to the time of the withdrawal. |
Nomination Endorsements |
Anyone running for City or Regional Council must submit the signatures from 25 voters endorsing the nomination. Each individual providing a signature must sign a declaration stating that they are eligible to vote in the municipality on the day that they signed the endorsement. The requirement to submit 25 nomination signatures does not apply to candidates running for school board trustee positions. If a candidate files a nomination, and then changes their mind and decides to run for a different office on the same Council (for example running as a Councillor then decides to run for Mayor), new signatures are not required.
**If a candidate files nomination papers for the lower tier council and then changes their intent and wants to run for the upper tier council 25 new signatures are required. |
Additional Information |
City Council Meeting Schedule City Council meetings are held every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. Exceptions are July, August and December and any other month as deemed necessary.
Committees of Council Currently, the City of Thorold has approximately 20 Committees of Council to which members of Council may be appointed. Committee meetings are held at various times. As part of Council Orientation Council Members will meet to decide which members will serve on which Committees.
Regional Councillor For information on meeting times, and compensation for Regional Chair, and Regional Councillors, candidates should contact the Niagara Region at 905.980.6000 or visit their website.
School Board Trustee For information on meeting times, and compensation for School Trustees, candidates should contact the respective school boards:
Candidate Supplies When available, candidates for the 2022 Municipal and School Board Election will be provided with the following supplies from the Clerk’s Department at no charge:
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Scrutineers |
A candidate may appoint scrutineers to represent them at the polls during the voting and at the counting of the vote. The appointment of a scrutineer is to be made on the appropriate form which is available from the Office of the City Clerk. Prescribed forms appointing scrutineers must be signed and approved by the Clerk. A candidate may appoint one scrutineer for each voting station. Scrutineers must show their written appointment to election officials upon request. Only one scrutineer per candidate may be in the voting place at each polling station. Candidates who enter the voting place are considered to be scrutineers and one of their scrutineers must leave the voting place during the period of time the candidate is in attendance.
Scrutineers and Candidates are prohibited from:
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Acceptable Identification |
Candidates filing a nomination must present acceptable identification showing name, qualifying City of Thorold address and signature. This can be one piece of ID or a combination of two pieces of ID. A link will be provided closer to the opening of the Nomination Period to assist individuals in determining what identification is acceptable. |
Withdrawing a Nomination |
If you have submitted your Nomination Papers and are no longer wishing to run in the 2022 Municipal Election, you must file a Withdrawal of Nomination Form prior to the end of the Nomination Period. Candidates cannot withdraw their nomination after the Nomination Period has closed. Candidates that have withdrawn their nomination are still required to file a financial statement |
Online Voting - How to? |
Want to learn more about online voting and the process? Check out our slide deck! Stay tuned for some dates where the Election Team will provide opportunities to answer questions of the upcoming election! |
KEY DATES FOR THE 2022 MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION:
Monday May 2, 2022 |
First day to file a nomination paper for the offices of Mayor, Councillor and School Board Trustee
(1) Mayor (8) Councillors (1) Regional Councillor
First day to file a notice of registration as a third party advertiser
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Friday August 19, 2022 at 2PM |
Deadline for candidates to:
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Monday August 22, 2022 |
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Thursday September 1, 2022 |
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Monday September 26, 2022 |
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Friday October 21, 2022 |
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2022 Pre-Election Accessibility Report - City of Thorold |
2022 Municipal Election Pre-Election Accessibility Report |
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