HAMILTON VOTES: Everything you need to know about voting in next month’s election
It's election season - and the clock is ticking.
Municipal candidates began erecting lawn signs Monday ahead of the Oct. 24 election that looks poised to shake up Hamilton's political landscape.
With less than a month before polls open, The Spectator breaks down what voters need to know, from how you can cast your ballot and who's running where, to important dates and key local issues at play.
Key dates
Aug. 19 Nomination deadline
Sept. 26 First day for election signs
Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15 Advance polls
Oct. 24 Election day
Nov. 16 Inauguration
How to find your ward
Not sure if you fit into Ward 1 or Ward 2?
Worry not.
The city has an open database that clearly maps out all 15 wards in Hamilton. Just plug in your address here and voila. For more information, visit hamilton.ca/city-council/municipal-election/voters/find-my-ward.
How to vote
First step: make sure you're on the voter list.
Anyone who's eligible and wants to cast a ballot must be named in the city's list prior to voting. You can check if you're on it in here. To view the list, check out hamilton.ca/city-council/municipal-election/voters/am-i-voters-list.
Anyone who wants to be added to the list has to fill out an amendment application in person. This can be done either at the office of the city hall clerk or a local municipal service centre between Sept. 1 and Oct. 24.
Alternatively, you can also be added to the list on election day by bringing your ID to a polling station. If your ID doesn't include a Hamilton address and you have lived in the city for more than five weeks, poll station workers will ask you to complete a declaration of identity form on-site.
As for where you can cast a ballot on election day, there will be 157 polling stations open Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Those who wish to vote through advance polls do so at one of 15 locations on Oct. 7, 8, 14 and 15.
Who's running?
Eighty-two candidates. Fifteen wards.
This year's election field is packed and will certainly translate to fresh faces in the next council term.
Six of the city's 15 wards don't have incumbents seeking re-election. Voters will also have a new council leader to pick after three-term mayor Fred Eisenberger elected not to seek re-election in June.
Mayoral Keanin Loomis, Ejaz Butt, Bob Bratina, Andrea Horwath, Solomon Ikhuiwu, Paul Fromm, Hermiz Ishaya, Michael Pattison, Jim Davis
Ward 1 Ian MacPherson, Maureen Wilson*, John Vail
Ward 2 Cameron Kroetsch, Raquel Rakovac, Jason Farr*, Robin McKee, Shahan Aaron
Ward 3 Nrinder Nann*, Laura Farr, Walter Furlan, Michael Falletta, Stan Kruchka
Ward 4 Alex Johnstone, Angelica Hasbon, Maxwell Francis, Mary Williams, Laura Taylor, Pascale Marchand, Tammy Hwang, Adam Oldfield, Eric Tuck, Cindy Kennedy, Robert Paris
Ward 5 Matt Francis, Bob Hurst, Kevin Geenen, Sebastian Aldea, Lynda Lukasik, Angela Pugliese, Ryan Ladner, Krysta Boyer, Stan Habza, George Rusich, Gordon Noble
Ward 6 Tom Jackson*, Donna Puddu, Stefan Spolnik, Chris Slye, Dan Preston
Ward 7 Esther Pauls*, Scott Duvall
Ward 8 Anthony Frisina, John-Paul Danko*, Sonia Brown, Daniel Veltri, Joshua Czerniga
Ward 9 Brad Clark*, Peter Lanza, Walt Juchniewicz, Muhammad Naeem
Ward 10 Jeff Beattie, Maria Pearson*, Louie Milojevic
Ward 11 Nicholas Lauwers, Mark Tadeson, Terri Moffett, Nick Pellegrino
Ward 12 Craig Cassar, Bob Maton, Megg Markettos, Karl Hanley, Cindy Kaye, Pamela Mitchell, Chuck Alkerton, Robert Baboth, William Robert Hume, Richard Deverson
Ward 13 Arlene VanderBeek*, Alex Wilson
Ward 14 Kojo Damptey, Brian Lewis, Colleen Wicken, Michael Spadafora, Christine Seketa, Don Ross, Christopher Poole
Ward 15 Ted McMeekin, Sumaira Waqar, Zobia Jawed, Chris Pera, Robert Kunysz
*Incumbent
What's at stake?
The past council term has provided no shortage of fodder for candidate platforms. Here's a sample:
Transparency Citing legal advice, council opted to keep the magnitude of the four-year sewage spill into Chedoke Creek under wraps until The Spectator wrote about it. It also belatedly revealed an inexplicably buried parkway safety report that has triggered an inquiry estimated to cost at least $26 million.
Road safety A rash of pedestrian and cyclist deaths this year has sparked calls from residents to design safer streets and calm traffic - particularly on one-way, inner-city thoroughfares like Main and King streets.
Growth Council froze Hamilton's urban boundary and directed future growth to the city's existing footprint to save farmland, but the provincial government is pressuring municipal leaders to reconsider and build outward.
COVID-19 The pandemic remains a threat to municipal coffers and a source of contention for municipal workers who have refused to get vaccinated.
Housing and homelessness Residents are worried and angry about a lack of affordable housing, spiking home and rental prices, and renovictions." Council is also struggling with how to deal with encampments and housing for vulnerable residents.
Transit Quite apart from the looming $3.4-billion light rail transit construction project, the next council must also debate the thorny issue of who pays for transit costs across the amalgamated city.
Debates
The Spectator teamed up with Cable 14 for a series of televised debates that saw candidates spar over pertinent issues and share their plans. You can catch up on them all below. Visit thespec.com/news/municipal-election.html to see stories and videos of the debates.
Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com