Ontarians need to exercise their democratic rights to vote in the Ontario Municipal Election

BY PAUL JUNOR

The upcoming Ontario municipal election on October 24^th, 2022, will be very important in the history of the province. In many ways, the issues that are important to Ontarians will come to the forefront as they vote to elect: mayors, regional/municipal council members, and school board representatives (trustees). Thanks to the support from the United Way of Greater Toronto, the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University, and the Democratic Engagement Exchange published the Ontario Municipal Election Readiness Handbook. There are three important questions that each potential voter should ask:

1. What’s important to you in your life?
2. What’s important for your friends and family?
3. What’s important for your community?

It is important that Ontario recognizes that each individual vote gives one the power to choose representatives that will reflect values that are priorities in their life. The recognition that governments make crucial decisions about important issues in our society cannot be undervalued or underestimated. Municipal governments are responsible for many spheres of activities that impact directly on all aspects of our life, such as schools, community safety, housing, transit, environment, taxes, policing, parks and recreation and child care.

The upcoming municipal election takes place every four years and is established by the Province of Ontario, which set out the common rules that each voter and candidate must abide by. Municipal clerks play vital roles in these elections, as they are responsible for running the election. There are three specific things that they are knowledgeable about:

• Where, when and ways to vote
• How to apply for election jobs
• Whether or not you are eligible to vote in the municipality

It is important to know that there are no political parties listed on the ballot when you go to vote. Municipal elections are very different from federal or provincial elections. There are no party leaders influencing councillors, mayors and school trustees on how they should vote. Voters have freedom to exercise their independent rights to elect anyone.

It is vital to have insights on how municipal councils work. Councillors have three main jobs:

1. They consult with your community and represent your service needs at the town or city council.
2. They make decisions for the whole city.
3. They help people in your community with problems they may be having with the town or city governments.

Mayors are leaders in the cities and act as Chief Executive Officers. Their job includes:

1. Running council meetings
2. Making policy and budget recommendations to the councillors
3. Officially representing your municipality

When voting for school trustees, it is vital to know that school boards oversee boards.

There are 72 school boards in Ontario:  31 English public boards, 29 English Catholic boards, four French public boards, and eight French Catholic boards. School board trustees play many important roles in the boards of education such as:

• Oversee the school board’s budget and policies
• Hiring and overseeing the board’s Director of Education

There are many opportunities to learn about the candidates by visiting their websites, and attending and participating in local candidates debates, forums, or events. In order to vote in a municipal election, there is no need for proof of address. Advance polls are available on October 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 14^th and 15^th. There are several voting options that you need to be aware of; you can: vote-by-mail, online voting, telephone voting or voting by proxy.

You can check the following websites for additional information:

Toronto: www.toronto.ca

Mississauga: www.misssissauga.ca

Brampton: www.brampton.ca

Markham:www.markham.ca