City of Port Colborne

The Municipal Elections 2010 Guide provides detailed information about voting, candidates, campaigns and campaign finances.

Niagara Area Candidates Information Session

The City of Port Colborne, in conjunction with all of the 12 area municipalities within the Regional Municipality of Niagara, will be hosting a Niagara Area Candidates Information Session.

View the Candidates Information Session Notice.

Qualifications of Candidates  

An individual is qualified to be elected or to hold office as the Mayor, Ward Councillor or Regional Councillor if he/she:

•         Is a resident of Port Colborne, a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Port Colborne, or the spouse or same-sex partner of such a person;

•         Is a Canadian Citizen;

•         Is at least 18 years of age;

•         not otherwise prohibited from voting. 

Note:  The above qualifications must be maintained during the entire term of office.

Persons Not Eligible  

An individual is disqualified from being elected to municipal office if he/she: 

•         is not eligible to vote in the municipality;

•         is an employee of a municipality or school board unless he/she:

• takes an unpaid leave of absence before being nominated; and
• resigns, if elected to the office;

•         is a judge of any court;

•         is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the Senate or House of Commons;

•         is a Crown employee under the meaning of the Public Service Act;

•         is prohibited from voting in an election under the Municipal Elections Act, the Municipal Act or the Education Act;

•         has violated financial requirements for the filing of financial information within the meaning of the Municipal Elections Act.

Note: Despite the above disqualification, MPs, MPPs and Senators may be nominated for municipal office without having to resign their current seat in Parliament. However, by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10, 2010 (Nomination Day), MPs, MPPs, and Senators are required to resign their current seat should they wish to continue to seek municipal office.

Candidates should be aware that the City of Port Colborne has enacted a by-law to regulate elections signs.  The regulations include provisions regarding the time period signs may be up, the size and location of signs.  Candidates should familiarize themselves with the by-law prior to ordering or erecting signs relating to their campaign. 

 Election Sign By-law

View information about the Nominations Process.

The candidate's campaign period commences at the time a nomination form is submitted to the City Clerk, and ends on December 31, 2010. 

Campaigning is not permitted on the premises of a voting place on voting day.

All candidates are required to keep complete and accurate financial statements during the course of their campaigns and to file a detailed financial statement at the end of the campaign period. Candidates should familiarize themselves with the legislation regarding campaign finances prior to embarking on their campaigns.

Candidates must not solicit or accept contributions for election purposes, or incur expenses, until their nomination form is filed with the City Clerk. 

Important Dates - Financial Calendar

 Estimated Spending Limits  

The following represents the estimated spending limits for the respective offices. The final maximum spending limits will be provided to each candidate by September 20, 2010: 

Each candidate may appoint in writing any number of persons as are necessary to act as a scrutineer and to represent them at the voting place and to be present during the counting of the votes.

Scrutineers must be appointed in writing and upon request shall show proof of his or her appointment to an election official.

Only one scrutineer per candidate may be in the voting place for each ballot box. If a candidate enters the voting place, they are considered to be a scrutineer.

Candidates and scrutineers have the following rights:

•         to be present when ballot boxes and materials related to the advance voting and the ballot boxes and statement of the results are being delivered to the Clerk.

•         to enter the voting place 15 minutes before it opens and to inspect the ballot boxes and the ballots, and all other election documents but not so as to delay the opening of the voting place.

•         to place their own seal on the ballot box before the opening of the voting place. The seal may in no way suggest a candidate or his or her campaign.  Such seals must not breach the provisions of the Municipal Elections Act.  Candidates are advised to have any seals they intend to use pre-approved by the Clerk.

•         to place his or her own seal on the ballot box after the close of voting on an advance vote so ballots cannot be withdrawn or deposited without breaking the seal.

•         to object to a person voting.

•         to sign the statement of the results of an election. 

•         to place his or her own seal on the ballot box after the counting of the votes so that ballots cannot be taken out or deposited.

Scrutineers and Candidates are prohibited from the following:  

•         attempting, directly or indirectly, to interfere with how an elector votes, and prohibited from attempting to campaign or persuade an elector to vote for a particular candidate,

•         displaying a candidate's election campaign material in a voting place,

•         compromising the secrecy of the voting,

•         interfering or attempting to interfere with an elector who is marking a ballot,

•         obtaining or attempt to obtain, in a voting place, any information about how an elector intends to vote or has voted,

•         communicating any information obtained at a voting place about how an elector intends to vote or has voted.