If you don’t do your homework for the upcoming municipal election Oct. 22, you could quite possibly elect a candidate for mayor who has decided he no longer wants the job.
Mayoral candidate Talib Ansari this week withdrew his name from the mayor’s race, but according to the Municipal Elections Act, a candidate’s name cannot be removed from the ballot after the July 27 deadline to do so.
It’s up to the candidate to spread the word to voters that he’s no longer running for elected office.
However, the Town of Newmarket has posted the following important notice on its candidates website page: Talib Ansari has notified the Clerk that he will no longer be seeking Office in the 2018 Newmarket Municipal Election. As the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 does not allow for removal of candidate names from the ballot after the Candidate Nomination Period has closed, his name will still appear on the online and telephone ballot.
At this point, the town’s online voting vendor can’t remove Ansari’s name from the electronic and telephone ballots either.
Visit Vote Newmarket for more information and updates.
Your political views welcome at this social media group
Within one month of its launch, the Newmarket Votes group on Facebook has grown to 393 members. And it shows no sign of stopping in advance of the upcoming Oct. 22 municipal election.
Dianne Wood, a longtime Newmarket resident who founded the group to discuss local politics, devotes about two hours each day to posting, moderating, liking, and commenting on Newmarket’s political scene. She’s only had to remove one person so far for inappropriate behaviour, and won’t hesitate to remove slanderous comments.
“It took off right away,” Wood said. “Some local groups don’t want to talk about politics, but I wanted to be able to discuss the issues respectfully, and figure out who I should give my vote to. I just want to bring out the truth.”
Wood’s group has caught the attention of current and campaigning municipal political hopefuls. She’s heard from them all, without exception.
“It’s a bit lively here right now,” said Wood, adding she hopes to build the group and keep it going for next year’s federal election. “People message me and I’m hearing a lot of complaining in the background about same old, same old.”
The retired teacher and writer hopes to bring her social media community together for its first face-to-face meet-up at the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce public election debate on Sept. 26.
“I’m proposing we have a meet-up there so we can say hi and bring this group to a whole new level. Then, afterward, we can have a great discussion of our thoughts back here in our group,” Wood wrote on the group’s Facebook wall this morning.
To learn about Newmarket Votes, visit them on Facebook
Low-tech signs spring up around Newmarket’s first high-tech election
There’ll be much ado about election lawn signs this weekend as local campaigns call in the troops to get ready to hammer in the first sign Monday at 10 a.m.
Some candidates reportedly have between 500 and 1,000 lawn signs ready to go next week, a sure-fire visual reminder to residents that it’s election season.
Municipal election candidates must abide by a stringent set of rules that will be enforced by the Town’s bylaw officers. For example, election signs cannot be illuminated, have flashing lights or rotating parts. Election signs are not permitted on public property, in local parks, or anywhere they may cause a health and safety concern.
Campaigning political-hopefuls still seem to be excited about the effectiveness of lawn signs despite research to the contrary, which shows they bump vote shares on average by only slightly more than one percentage point, according to the 2016 Effect of Lawn Signs on Vote Outcomes: Results from Four Randomized Field Experiments study.
You're welcome to file any complaints about the signs to the Town’s customer service department at 905-895-5193 or email [email protected]
Practise voting online at town’s election open house
Newmarket voters are invited to the Town’s open house Wed., Sept. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. to learn more about the new way in which you’ll vote in the upcoming Oct. 22 municipal election. Voting will be done online or by telephone. You can learn more about what you need to do to cast your vote, voting security, election sign rules and more. Bring the family as a kids’ zone will be set up with face-painting.
The Open House is at the Municipal Offices, 395 Mulock Dr. For more information, visit here
Q & A with mayoral candidate Joe Wamback
The Newmarket Taxpayers Advocacy Group (NTAG) continues its engagement with voters and local candidates in the municipal election tonight, Sept. 19, Madsen’s Greenhouse Banquet & Chapel, 160 Bayview Pkwy. The session begins at 7 p.m. with mayoral candidate Joe Wamback. A second Q & A with mayoral candidate John Taylor is planned for Oct. 3, same time and location.
NTAG recently published the responses to its election questionnaire with Newmarket’s political and school board candidates on its website.
For more information, visit here
Chamber debate one week away
The Newmarket Chamber of Commerce’s public election debate next Wednesday will now see two mayoral candidates face-off as a third hopeful dropped out of the race this week.
A debate among regional councillor-candidates will also take place that night.
Candidates for ward councillors will participate in a meet-and-greet with guests prior to the debate in an open-house format, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. The debate portion of the evening gets underway at 6:45 p.m.
The chamber hopes for an evening of robust discussion about the future of Newmarket. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Newmarket Theatre, 505 Pickering Cr.
The list of certified and acclaimed candidates can be found here
For more information on the chamber debate, visit here
