Ottawa’s 2022 municipal election will look quite different from those previous, with current mayor Jim Watson no longer seeking re-election for the first time in 12 years, 14 candidates running to take his place and mail-in ballots available for the first time in the city’s electoral history.
Michèle Rochette, Ottawa’s municipal elections manager, said average voter turnout from the last three elections sits at roughly 43 per cent and emphasized how accessible and flexible voting has become this year.
“We want people to get out and vote and we’ve provided every opportunity for them to do so.”
“We hope [turnout]’s high. We like when people are engaged and we have the spots for every elector that wants to vote, and we have three ways for them to vote,” she said. “We want people to get out and vote and we’ve provided every opportunity for them to do so.”
How to vote this election
Eligible electors can vote at special advance polls from Sept. 24 to 27, advance polls Oct. 7 or 14 or on election day Oct. 24. Residents can see who is running in their ward based on their street address. Long-term care centres and retirement homes may have reduced voting hours these days.
Eligible voters must reside in Ottawa, have Canadian citizenship and be 18 or older. To vote in person, electors must provide one piece of ID showing their name and address.
Anyone voting by mail-in ballot can apply via the City of Ottawa’s website, as well as by mail and email, until 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16. Electors can also verify, add or amend their voting information up until this date and time.
Mail-in ballots will count as long as the elections office at 1221 Cyrville Rd. or a client service centre receives them by 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24. Instructional voter kits will arrive to electors’ addresses after Sept. 24. Alternatively, electors unable to visit an in-person voting location may appoint a proxy to cast their ballot.
Rochette, who called the Charlatan from Algonquin College, said her outreach team has already connected with and visited every post-secondary institution in Ottawa. She noted that Carleton University students can vote at the Residence Commons Fenn Lounge 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 14.
New faces, new wards
At least 10 new city councillors will be elected on Oct. 24 alongside the next mayor. Councillors Jean Cloutier, Diane Deans, Keith Egli, Jan Harder, Mathieu Fleury, Carol Anne Meehan, Scott Moffatt and Eli El-Chantiry won’t run again, while Ward 14 (Somerset) Councillor Catherine McKenney will face 13 other candidates in their bid for election as mayor.
The election will also see the creation of an entirely new jurisdiction: Ward 24 (Barrhaven East). This means a 24th city councillor will join municipal staff, largely to address Ottawa’s continued expansion and population growth. As well, six of the current 23 wards will undergo renaming. Wards 1, 2, 3, 19, 21 and 22 will become Orléans East-Cumberland, Orléans West-Innes, Barrhaven West, Orléans South-Navan, Rideau-Jock and Riverside South-Findlay Creek, respectively.
Running against McKenney for mayor, in order of nomination, are Brandon Bay, Bob Chiarelli, Bernard Couchman, Graham MacDonald, Ade Olumide, Param Singh, Mark Sutcliffe, Mike Maguire, Celine Debassige, Gregory Guevara, Nour Kadri, Zed Chebib and Jacob Solomon.
Rebecca Bromwich and Daniel Rogers will challenge incumbent Councillor Shawn Menard for Ward 17 (Capital Ward), which contains Carleton.
How students can participate, aside from voting
Those wishing to participate further in the election may apply to work at polling stations as returning officers, revising officers and election assistants.
“It would be great if [students] got engaged and worked at our voting places, so they can apply at any time by using that [elections worker application] tool,” Rochette said.
She added that there’s no application deadline for election jobs and that applicants must simply be 16 or older and eligible to work in Ontario. Elections Ottawa will be providing updates via Twitter as the election season progresses.
Ottawa’s city clerk will declare election results no later than Oct. 28 and candidates will take office Nov. 15.
Featured image provided by the City of Ottawa.
