Information for Candidates

 Eligibility Criteria for Candidates

The next municipal election to elect a mayor, councillors, and school board trustees will be held on Monday October 22, 2018. Individuals may consider running for one of the following offices:

• (1) Mayor
• (6) Councillor

School board trustee

• District School Board Ontario North East (DSBONE)
  ZONE G – (1) TRUSTEE Representing Hearst, Hearst Locality Education, Mattice, Val-Cote, Opasatika, Kapuskasing, Kapuskasing / Smooth Rock Falls and District Locality Education – O’Brien, Owens, McCowan Townships, Val Rita – Harty
  Returning Officer: Chantal Guillemette, Town of Kapuskasing

• Conseil scolaire catholique du district des Grandes Rivières (CSCDGR)

  ZONE F – (1) TRUSTEE Representing Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls and District Locality Education, Smooth Rock Falls, Fauquier-Strickland, Moonbeam, Val Rita – Harty, Opasatika.

  Returning Officer: Veronique Dion, Town of Smooth Rock Falls

   

  ZONE G – (1) TRUSTEE Representing Kapuskasing

  Returning Officer: Chantal Guillemette, Town of Kapuskasing

   

• Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario (CSPNE)

  ZONE I  – (1) TRUSTEE Representing Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Opasatika, Val Rita – Harty, Kap – Smooth Rock Falls & District Locality, Fauquier – Strickland, Moonbeam

  Returning Officer: Chantal Guillemette. Town of Kapuskasing

• Northeastern Catholic District School Board (NCDSB)
  

  ZONE A – (1) TRUSTEE Representing Hearst Locality Education, Kapuskasing – Smooth Rock Falls Locality Education, Smooth Rock Falls, Fauquier – Strickland, Moonbeam, Kapuskasing, Val Rita – Harty, Opasatika, Hearst, Mattice – Val Côté

  Returning Officer: Chantal Guillemette, Town of Kapuskasing

A person is entitled to be a candidate in the 2018 municipal election if they are an eligible elector. A candidate must be eligible as of the day they are nominated and must remain eligible throughout the election period and, if elected, throughout the term of office. 

Who can be a candidate for mayor or councillor?

A person is qualified to be a candidate for mayor or councillor if they are,

• a resident of the Town of Kapuskasing, or an owner or tenant in the Town of Kapuskasing, or the spouse of such an owner or tenant;
• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years old; and
• not legally prohibited from voting.

Who cannot be a candidate for mayor or councillor?

The following people are disqualified from being elected as a member of council, or from holding office as a member of council:

• an employee of the municipality unless they take an unpaid leave of absence beginning the day they are nominated and resign if elected to the office.
• a judge of any court
• a member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination.
• a candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement(s) in the last municipal election or by-election.

Who can be a school board trustee candidate?

A person is qualified to be a candidate for school board trustee if they are, 

• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years old;
• a resident within the board's area or jurisdiction;
• a supporter of that school board; and
• not legally prohibited from voting.

Who cannot be a school board trustee candidate?

The following people are disqualified from being elected as school board trustee or from holding office on any school board:

• an employee of the school board unless they take an unpaid leave of absence beginning the day they are nominated and resign if elected to the office.
• a clerk, treasurer, deputy-clerk or deputy-treasurer of any municipality within the area of jurisdiction of the school board except those on an unpaid leave of absence.
• a member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned form their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations. 
• a candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement(s) in the last municipal election or by-election.

Nominations are open from Tuesday, May 1, 2018 to Friday July 27, 2018 at 2 p.m.

Click here to view the Town of Kapuskasing Municipal Elections Procedures 

To run for the office of mayor, councillor or school trustee for the 2018 municipal election

• Candidates must file a prescribed Nomination Paper.
• Candidates cannot raise or spend any money on their campaign until this nomination paper is filed. 
• Nomination papers must be filed by the candidate or by an agent acting on the candidate's behalf, in person, at the Clerk's Office, during regular office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) between May 1, 2018 and July 26, 2018 and not later than 2 p.m. on Friday, July 27, 2018 (Nomination Day). The nomination paper may not be faxed, mailed or emailed, as an original signature is required.
• If an agent of the candidate is filing the nomination paper, the form must be fully completed by the candidate prior to filing. 
• For school board trustee purposes, the nominations shall be submitted to the Clerk of the municipality having the largest population of the relevant electoral group residing in the geographic area served by the school board or to the Clerk of the Town of Kapuskasing for candidates residing in Kapuskasing.

Things needed for filing:

• A completed copy of the Nomination Paper
• A declaration of qualification from each of the people endorsing the nomination (only applicable to candidates running for council)
• A declaration of qualification signed by the candidate
• Filing fee ($200 for Head of Council and $100 for all other offices)
• Proof of identity

Note: Nomination papers are public documents and are available for inspection at the Administration Office.

Endorsement of nominations for mayor or councillor

At least 25 eligible electors must endorse a candidate's nomination for the office of mayor or councillor. Individuals who provide a signature endorsing a nomination will have to sign a declaration stating they are eligible to vote in the municipality as of the day they sign the endorsement. 

The nomination papers of a candidate running for the office of mayor or councillor must be submitted with a declaration of qualification from each of the eligible electors endorsing their nomination. 

Filing Fees

Candidates must pay a filing fee when they submit their nomination papers. These fees must be paid at the time of filing - by cash, debit, credit card, certified cheque or money order.

• The filing fee for a candidate running for mayor is $200
• The filing fee for a candidate running for town councillor or school trustee is $100

Nomination filing fees are refundable if the candidate's financial statement and auditor's report are filed on or before Friday, March 29, 2019, at 2 p.m.

Withdrawal of nomination

A candidate who wishes to withdraw their nomination must notify the Clerk in writing before 2 p.m. on Friday, July 27, 2018. The candidate must file their withdrawal or statement in person and may be required to provide identification.

The candidate will still be required to submit a financial statement (due no later than Friday, March 29, 2019, at 2 p.m.) covering all financial transactions up to the time of the withdrawal.

Nomination period

• Tuesday, May 1, 2018, is the first day for candidates to file Nomination Paper for the office of mayor, councillor or school board trustee.
• The deadline for candidates to submit their nomination is Friday, July 27, 2018
• The deadline for the withdrawal of a nomination is Friday, July 27, 2018 

A candidate's campaign period begins once their nomination paper is filed and ends on December 31, 2018. On this date, the candidate's campaign is automatically closed. Candidates cannot accept any contributions or incur any expenses after the end of the campaign period. 

If at the end of the campaign period a candidate's campaign expenses are greater than their campaign income, their campaign will be in deficit. A candidate may take action to extend their campaign in order to do some additional fundraising. 

If a candidate's campaign has surplus, the candidate must pay the surplus to the Clerk when filing their financial statement.

Financial Statements

Candidates are responsible for filing a complete and accurate financial statement by Friday, March 29, 2019, at 2 p.m. The statement covers the period from the day the candidate filed their nomination paper until December 31, 2018.

Any candidate that filed a nomination form, must file a financial statement. This includes candidates who withdrew their nomination, candidates who were not certified and did not appear on the ballot, and candidates who were acclaimed.

Contributions

Campaign contributions are any money, goods or services that are given to a candidate for use in their campaign, including money and goods that a candidate contributes to themselves. Candidates must issue a receipt for every contribution they receive. The receipt should show who made the contribution, the date, and the value of the contribution.

Any person who is a resident of Ontario may contribute to a candidate's campaign.

The following persons and entities shall not make a contribution:

• A federal political party registered under the Canada Elections Act (Canada) or any federal constituency association or registered candidate at a federal election endorsed by that party.
• A provincial political party, constituency association, registered candidate or leadership contestant registered under the Election Finances Act.
• A corporation that carries on business in Ontario.
• A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario
• The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or a local board.

Individuals may contribute a maximum of $1,200 to a single candidate. This includes the value of any goods or services donated to the campaign. Individuals may not contribute more that $5,000 in total to candidates running for offices on the same council or school board. Any contribution of money must come directly from the contributor. 

Contributions greater than $25 may not be made in cash. All contributions above $25 must be made by cheque, money order, or by method that clearly shows where the funds come from. 

Candidates are required to inform each of their contributors of these contribution limits.

There is limit on how much a candidate running for municipal council and their spouse can contribute to their own campaign.

The contribution limit is calculated based on the number of electors who are eligible to vote for each office. The following formula is used to calculate the limit that a candidate running for municipal council, and their spouse, can contribute to their own campaign:

• Candidates running for mayor: 
• Candidates running for town councillor: 

Candidates are provided with an estimate of their contribution limit when they file their nomination paper. This estimate is based on the number of electors in the previous regular election.

Election campaign advertisement

An election campaign advertisement is an advertisement in any broadcast, print, electronic, or other medium that has the purpose of promoting or supporting the election of a candidate.

Example include, lawn signs, brochures, posters, print, radio and electronic ads, etc.

All candidates campaign advertising shall identify the Candidate by name, as it appears on the Nomination Form

Mandatory information for broadcasters and publishers

Candidates must provide the following information to the boradcaster or publisher in writing:

• The name of the candidate
• The name, business address and telephone number of the individual who deals with the broadcaster or publisher under the direction of the candidate. 

The broadcaster or publisher of an election campaign advertisement is required to retain the following information for a period of four years after the date the advertisement appears:

• The mandatory information that is required for broadcasters and publishers;
• A copy of the advertisement, or the means of reprocuding it for inspection; and
• A statement of the charge made for its appearance.

The broadcaster or publiser must also permit the public to inspect these records during normal business hours.

ELECTION SIGNS

The following provides a summary of election sign requirements and limitations. Candidates should refer to the Town of Kapusaksing Election Signagte Policy E2 to regulate Election Signs in the Town of Kapuskasing.

Do I need a permit to put up my election sign?

A sign permit or a permit application is not required for election signs.

Are there any places that are restricted to place a sign?

• Election signs shall not be placed on Municipal property, except in road allowance areas;
• Election signs shall not be placed on private property without the owner's consent

What date can I start to display my election signs?

Signs can be displayed no sooner than Saturday, September 1st, 2018 

How many days do I have after the election to remove my election signs?

All election signs must signs must be removed by the candidate or the candidate's representattive by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

What are the height restrictions for election signs?

Posts used should not be higher than the top of the sign area to cause any safety hazard such as wood or metal stakes or posts with sharp edges.

Are there any areas that are not allowed to display my signs?

• on or overhanging on any Municipal property;
• on a utility pole;
• within medians, centre boulevards or traffic islands;
• on any official sign or official sign structure;
• within a sight triangle;
• within 3 metres (10ft) of a fire hydrant, curb, driveway or the travelled portion of a street;
• on or near public sidewalk causing interference or obstruction of pedestrian traffic;
• in a location obstructing any fire escape, fire exit, door, window, etc. to impede access of firefighters to any part of a building; and
• in a location where the sign constitutes a danger or hazard.

Can I display an election sign on my vehicle? If so, what are the restrictions?

• Signs can be displayed no sooner that Saturday September 1st, 2018.
• Signs shall not be displayed within 100 metres (328 ft) of a voting place any time while it is open to the public.
• Signs shall not be displayed upon the property where the office for the administration of the election is located. 

Can the Municipality remove an election sign without notifying the candidate?

The Municipality reserves the right to remove, without notice to any person, including the candidate, any election sign which it deems to be a hazard.

Signs on Road Allowances and Utility Installations

Posters or similar campaign material that will be installed or affixed to poles belonging to Hydro One, Northern Ontario Wires, Bell Canada or other public utilities will require the permission of these respective approving authorities. 

The following provides a summary of the signare procedure. This summary is provided for information purposes only.

Temporary signs must be self-supporting and not embedded into the ground more than 0.3 m.

An election sign may be placed on the right-of way provided they:

• Do not exceed 3.0 m2 in size;
• Do not interfere with an official sign, traffic signal or safety device;
• Are not inplace for longer than the permitted period;
• Do not remain in place more than 2 days after the election;
• Are not placed within 10 m of a driveway;
• Are within 8 m from the edge of pavement if the sign is less than 0.7 m2;
• Are not affixed to a permanent or an official sign or to the guide rail or other road structure or facility interfering with visibility.

Signs greater than 0.7 m2 shall be placed at the outer edge of the road right-of-way. Portable sign trailers are prohibited on the right-of-way of a road.

Vandalism

The investigation or prosecution for any acts of vandalism to the posters or campaign material of the candidates should be referred to the local police force by the complainant. The Municipality or any of its municipal officers, employees or agents will not be responsible.

Campaign material around a voting place

When a voting place is located within public premises, the entire property of the voting place and all the boudaries associated with it are considered part of that voting place. 

Campaigning at a voting place

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, stipulates that no person shall attempt to influence, directly or indirectly, how the elector votes and no person shall display a candidate's campaign material or literature in a voting place.

Clothing or accessories that identify a candidate, such as, signs, buttons, slogans, logos, advertising, etc., are not permitted inside a voting place.

Use of Municipal Resources during an election. 

Click here to view the regulations as set out by the Municipal Election Act with respect to the use of municipal resources during an election year.