Residents of Merrickville-Wolford can take advantage of an informative and practical move by the Village to prepare for the Municipal and School Board election coming up in October. Although we have still to deal with a provincial election in a couple of weeks, May 2 was the official kick-off date for the upcoming Municipal Election. Individuals wanting to file a nomination paper for the offices of Mayor, Councillor or School Board Trustee could do so from that day, and Mayor Doug Struthers was quickly out of the block to file his papers the very next day. A special Candidate’s Package has been put together for those interested in joining the race for the positions on Council and the various School Boards, and an electronic copy of the package is available on-line at: www.mwvotes.ca/resources. Hard copies of the information package are also available at the Municipal Office (317 Brock Street West, Merrickville) during regular office hours (8:30 – 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday).
The Village of Merrickville-Wolford is organised in a Ward system, with two Wards: Merrickville and Wolford. You must vote in the Ward where you live. If you are also the owner or tenant of a property in another ward, you are not permitted to vote in that Ward instead. The rules governing who can vote in the election are also set out on the Village web site, and cover both resident and non-resident qualifications, as well as those for students and those qualified to vote in more than one municipality. Whatever your status, it is essential that you ensure your name is listed on the voters list at your correct address. All the details and information needed to guarantee your right to vote can be found on the site at www.mwvotes.ca.
To confirm that you are on the voters list, you can check your status on https://voterlookup.ca, and to add or correct your information, go to elections.on.ca, where you can also confirm your status before the provincial election on June 2. If you have a problem with the voters list information, you can also visit the Municipal Office (317 Brock Street West, Merrickville) during regular office hours (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and speak to someone from the Clerk’s Office.
Although the official election day is Monday, October 24, it will be possible to cast your vote any time after October 17 by using internet or telephone voting options. The Village site recommends internet voting as being easier to use than the telephone option, but directions on using both methods is provided on the site.
Intending candidates have until August 19 to file their nomination papers, or, alternatively, to withdraw their nomination.
The Village has provided a very useful and informative site for those wishing to find out what they need to know before the vote in October, or, indeed, in deciding whether to throw their own hat in the ring for the coming election.
