|
ELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR AND COUNCILLOR
The City of Winnipeg Charter
sets out the eligibility requirements of a
candidate for Mayor and Councillor. Prior to making the decision to run for office, a prospective candidate
should determine if he or she qualifies under the provisions of Section 23(1), which provides:
23(1)
An individual is eligible to be nominated for, and elected as, a member of council at an election if the
individual is:
|
(a)
|
a Canadian Citizen;
|
|
(b)
|
at least 18 years of age on the day of the election;
|
|
(c)
|
a resident of the province;
|
|
(d)
|
a voter; and
|
|
(e)
|
not disqualified under this or any other Act.
|
The Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act
further stipulates that, effective October 25, 2006,
40(1)
A person may not any one time:
|
(a)
|
hold more than one office on an elected authority; or
|
|
(b)
|
be nominated for more than one office on an elected authority.
|
40(2)
A person who holds office on an elected authority may not be nominated in a by-election unless
the member resigns his or her office at least 42 days before the election day for that
by-election.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
The City of Winnipeg Charter
also provides:
23(2)
The following individuals are disqualified from being nominated for, elected as or remaining as a member
of council:
|
(a)
|
a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench or The Court of Appeal;
|
|
(b)
|
a provincial judge, magistrate or justice of the peace;
|
|
(c)
|
a member of the council of another municipality;
|
|
(d)
|
a member of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada;
|
(e)
|
an individual who has been convicted of an offence under this or any other Act
and who has not paid any fine imposed on the individual for the offence.
|
NOMINATIONS
A candidate cannot be nominated for, or hold, more than one office on an elected
authority --- Mayor, Councillor and/or School Trustee.
Nominations of candidates are filed with the Senior Election Official, in such
times, and at such place, and during such period, as is required in
The Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act.
The Act requires that nomination papers contain the names, addresses and signatures of
at least 25 voters in the Ward in which a candidate seeks election for councillor. Candidates for Mayor
must have a minimum of 250 names, addresses and signatures of voters residing within the City of Winnipeg
at large. In this case, “voters” means persons whose names appear on the voters list of the City of
Winnipeg.
REGISTRATION
Every person who proposes to be a candidate for the Office of Mayor or Councillor
must register with the Senior Election Official by filing in-person Form 1 prescribed in
The Campaign Expenses and Contributions By-law.
This registration can only be done during the Campaign Period and must be completed
prior to the closing of nominations.
Once a candidate has filed a Notice of Registration, he or she becomes a registered candidate. Until a
candidate is registered, nor any other person acting on behalf of the candidate, shall accept a contribution
or incur an expense for the purpose of the election of the candidate. Also, the candidate may not spend any
of his or her own money on the campaign before registration.
The candidate registration process and the nomination process are separate. A registered candidate is
not entitled to have his or her name on the ballot until he or she is nominated. Registration alone does
not confirm status as a candidate in an election and being registered does not commit a candidate to file
nomination papers.
|
