Voting options, running for municipal offices: What you need know ahead of Richmond Hill fall municipal election

Yorkregion.com
April 25, 2022

In about half a year, voters in Richmond Hill are expected to decide who will be their mayor, councillors and school board trustees in the fall municipal elections.

The city is offering two voting options -- in-person and online -- provide flexibility for the registered voters to choose a time and method to cast their ballots.

Voting day is Oct. 24. Online voting will be available from Oct. 18 to 24 and in-person voting on Oct. 22, 23 and 24.

Members of council will be elected for the term of Nov. 15, 2022 to Nov. 14, 2026.

Municipal elections occur every four years in Ontario on a date set by the province. This year, the elections are on the first day of Diwali, a major religious festival for many Richmond Hill residents.

To be eligible to vote you must be:

• A Canadian citizen;

• At least 18 years of age on or before voting day (Oct. 24, 2022);

• A resident, owner or tenant of land in the city of Richmond Hill, or the spouse of such tenant or owner; and

• Not otherwise prohibited by law from voting.

To vote you must also be on the Voters’ List, which is managed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). Visit VoterLookUp.ca to update your voter information. If members of your family are no longer eligible Richmond Hill voters, such as adult children who have moved away from Richmond Hill, they need to call MPAC at 1-866-296-6722 to be removed from the list.

To run for municipal office, a candidate must be:

• A Canadian citizen;

• At least 18 years of age on or before voting day (Oct. 24, 2022);

• A resident of the city of Richmond Hill, or the owner or tenant of land in Richmond Hill (or the spouse of any such owner or tenant of land).

 

Potential candidates must comply with all provisions of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. This includes, but is not limited to, not accepting any contributions or incurring any expenses pertaining to their election campaign until after their nomination is filed with and accepted by the city clerk. Potential candidates should carefully review the full eligibility requirements and nomination information at RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes before submitting their nomination.

To file a nomination, eligible candidates must email candidates@richmondhill.ca to make an appointment with the office of the city clerk at Richmond Hill’s municipal offices (225 East Beaver Creek Rd.).

Completed forms can be filled in and printed before the scheduled meeting, but should only be signed at the meeting.

At the time of filing, all council candidates must submit a completed nomination form, at least 25 fully complete endorsements on the prescribed form, the declaration of qualification and pay the prescribed filing fee. Trustee candidates are not required to provide endorsements.

Forms are available at RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes. Nominations will be accepted until 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19.

Information Sessions for Potential Candidates and Third Party Advertisers

Free, online information sessions for potential candidates and third party advertisers are being hosted in York Region on behalf of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH).

The sessions provide an overview of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and key considerations for running in the municipal elections. All sessions will cover the same content. Please visit the host municipality’s website for details.

• April 21, 7 p.m. -- City of Vaughan

• April 26, 5 p.m. -- Town of East Gwillimbury

• April 28, 9 a.m. -- Town of East Gwillimbury

 

For more information about the 2022 Municipal Elections, visit RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes.