Municipal elections in Canada
Encyclopedia
Municipal elections in Canada
fall within the jurisdiction of the various provinces and territories
. Therefore, they occur on different dates, depending on which province they are in. However, municipalities in the same province will usually have their elections on the same day. Unlike most provinces, territories, and the House of Commons, most municipalities have their elections on some sort of a fixed date. Each province has its own nomenclature for municipalities and some have local elections for unincorporated areas which are not technically municipalities. These entities can be called cities, towns, villages, townships, hamlets, parishes and, simply, municipalities, county municipalities, regional county municipalities, municipal districts, regional districts, counties, regional municipalities, specialized municipalities, district municipalities or rural municipalities. Many of these may be used by Statistics Canada
as the basis for census divisions or census subdivisions. Municipal elections usually elect a mayor (or reeve) at large, city councillors (or aldermen), and school trustees. Most councils are non-partisan, however, some municipalities (such as Montreal
, Quebec City
, Longueuil
, Vancouver
, Surrey, British Columbia
and Victoria, British Columbia
) do have local political parties. These are municipal in nature, and are rarely affiliated with any provincial or federal parties.
Voting may be done with paper ballots that are hand-counted, or by various forms of electronic voting
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
fall within the jurisdiction of the various provinces and territories
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
. Therefore, they occur on different dates, depending on which province they are in. However, municipalities in the same province will usually have their elections on the same day. Unlike most provinces, territories, and the House of Commons, most municipalities have their elections on some sort of a fixed date. Each province has its own nomenclature for municipalities and some have local elections for unincorporated areas which are not technically municipalities. These entities can be called cities, towns, villages, townships, hamlets, parishes and, simply, municipalities, county municipalities, regional county municipalities, municipal districts, regional districts, counties, regional municipalities, specialized municipalities, district municipalities or rural municipalities. Many of these may be used by Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
as the basis for census divisions or census subdivisions. Municipal elections usually elect a mayor (or reeve) at large, city councillors (or aldermen), and school trustees. Most councils are non-partisan, however, some municipalities (such as Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Longueuil
Longueuil
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...
, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
and Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
) do have local political parties. These are municipal in nature, and are rarely affiliated with any provincial or federal parties.
Voting may be done with paper ballots that are hand-counted, or by various forms of electronic voting
Electronic voting in Canada
It is a common misconception that there is no electronic voting in Canada. While the federal elections still use paper ballots, electronic voting technology has been used since at least the 1990s at the municipal level in some cities, and there are increasing efforts in a few areas to introduce it...
.
Municipal election chart by province and territory
| Province or Territory | Occurrence | Date | Last | Current | Next | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces... |
excluding Lloydminster Lloydminster Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan... |
3 years | 3rd Monday in October | 2007 Alberta municipal elections, 2007 Municipal elections were held in Alberta, Canada on Monday, October 15, 2007. Since 1968, provincial legislation has required every municipality to hold triennial elections... |
2010 Alberta municipal elections, 2010 Municipal elections were held in Alberta, Canada on Monday, October 18, 2010. Since 1968, provincial legislation has required every municipality to hold triennial elections... |
|
| British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
3 years | 3rd Saturday in November | 2008 British Columbia municipal elections, 2008 Municipal elections were held in the Canadian province of British Columbia on November 15, 2008.The following is a list of mayoral races in selected municipalities.-Abbotsford:-Burnaby:-Campbell River:-Castlegar:-Central Saanich:-Chilliwack:... |
2011 British Columbia municipal elections, 2011 Municipal elections will be held in the Canadian province of British Columbia on November 19. Races will be held in all municipalities and regional district electoral areas.Selected mayoral races are as follows:-Abbotsford:-Burnaby:-Campbell River:... |
||
| Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other... |
4 years | 4th Wednesday in October | 2006 Manitoba municipal elections, 2006 -Brandon:*Jeff Harwood is a teacher in Brandon. He was a councillor for the city's second ward in the 1980s, and represented Brandon before the Royal Commission on National Passenger Transportation in 1990. Following the events of September 11, 2001, Harwood wrote a piece supporting increased... |
2010 Manitoba municipal elections, 2010 The Canadian province of Manitoba held municipal elections on October 27, 2010. Election day was on July 23, 2010 for several beach resorts including Winnipeg Beach, Dunnottar and Victoria Beach. Mayors, councillors, and school board trustees were elected.... |
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| New Brunswick New Brunswick New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area... |
4 years (3 years prior to 2004) | 2nd Monday in May | 2004 New Brunswick municipal elections, 2004 The most recent municipal elections in the Canadian province of New Brunswick were held on May 10, 2004. All 104 municipalities in New Brunswick elected mayors and councillors. Also held on that day were elections for regional health boards and district education councils.These elections marked the... |
2008 New Brunswick municipal elections, 2008 Municipal elections were held in the Canadian province of New Brunswick on May 12, 2008. Here is a summary of results in the major communities in the province.-Bathurst:-Campbellton:-Dieppe:-Edmundston:-Fredericton:Elected to city council... |
2012 | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
4 years | last Tuesday in September | 2005 Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections, 2005 The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador held municipal elections in its municipalities on September 27, 2005.Listed are the results of selected municipal mayoral races in the province.-Conception Bay South:-Corner Brook:-Gander:... |
2009 Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections, 2009 The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador held municipal elections in its municipalities on September 29, 2009.Listed are the results of selected municipal mayoral races in the province.-Bay Roberts:-Clarenville:-Mayoral:-City council:... |
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| Northwest Territories Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south... |
taxed communities | 3 years | 3rd Monday in October | 2006 | 2009 | 2012 |
| hamlets | 2 years | 2nd Monday in December | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... |
4 years | 3rd Saturday in October | 2004 Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election, 2004 The 2004 municipal elections of the Halifax Regional Municipality took place on 16 October 2004. Elections have been held every four years since the amalgamation of the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the town of Bedford and Halifax County into the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996... |
2008 Nova Scotia municipal elections, 2008 Municipal elections were held across the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on October 18, 2008.The following lists races in selected municipalities.-Amherst:-Bridgewater:-Cape Breton Regional Municipality:-Halifax Regional Municipality:-Kentville:... |
2012 | |
| Nunavut Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993... |
Iqaluit | 3 years | 3rd Monday in October | 2006 | 2009 | 2012 |
| hamlets | 1 year | 1st Monday in December | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
4 years (3 years prior to 2006) | 4th Monday in October (since 2010) | 2006 Ontario municipal elections, 2006 In the 2006 municipal elections in Ontario, voters in the province of Ontario, elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of Ontario's municipalities. These elections were regulated by the .- Date :... |
2010 Ontario municipal elections, 2010 The 2010 municipal elections in Ontario were held on October 25, 2010.Voters in the province of Ontario elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of the province's municipalities.... |
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| Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population... |
cities, Cornwall, & Stratford | 4 years | 1st Monday in November | 2006 | 2010 | |
| excluding above | 3 years | 1st Monday in November | 2006 | 2009 | 2012 | |
| Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
4 years | 1st Sunday in November | 2005 Quebec municipal elections, 2005 The Canadian province of Quebec held municipal elections in its municipalities on November 6, 2005.The municipalities in Quebec for the 2005 election were different than the previous 2001 election, as many municipalities have voted to de-amalgamate.... |
2009 Quebec municipal elections, 2009 Municipal elections took place throughout Quebec, Canada, on November 1, 2009, to replace mayors and councillors.-Acton Vale:-Alma:-Amos:-Amqui:-Asbestos:-Aumond:-Baie-Comeau:-Baie-Saint-Paul:-Beaconsfield:-Beauceville:... |
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| Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota.... |
urban municipalities | 3 years | 4th Wednesday in October | 2006 Saskatchewan municipal elections, 2006 -Corman Park No. 344:-Estevan:-Humboldt:-Lloydminster:-Melfort:-Moose Jaw:-North Battleford:-Prince Albert:-Mayoral race:-City council:Elected councillors-Mayoral race:-City council:... |
2009 Saskatchewan municipal elections, 2009 The Canadian province of Saskatchewan held municipal elections in its municipalities on October 28, 2009.Listed are the results of selected municipal mayoral races in the province.-Estevan:-Lloydminster:-Melfort:-Moose Jaw:-North Battleford:... |
2012 |
| odd-numbered rural municipalities | 2 years | 1st Wednesday in November | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | |
| even-numbered rural municipalities | 2 years | 1st Wednesday in November | 2009 Saskatchewan municipal elections, 2009 The Canadian province of Saskatchewan held municipal elections in its municipalities on October 28, 2009.Listed are the results of selected municipal mayoral races in the province.-Estevan:-Lloydminster:-Melfort:-Moose Jaw:-North Battleford:... |
2011 | 2013 | |
| Yukon Yukon Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in.... |
3 years | 3rd Thursday in October | 2006 | 2009 | 2012 | |
External links
See also
- Canadian electoral calendar, 2012Canadian electoral calendar, 2012This is a list of elections in Canada in 2012. Included are provincial, municipal and federal elections, by-elections on any level, referendums and party leadership races at any level.-January to April:*March 24 - New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012...
- Canadian electoral calendar, 2011Canadian electoral calendar, 2011This is a list of elections in Canada in 2011. Included are provincial, municipal and federal elections, by-elections on any level, referendums and party leadership races at any level.-January to April:*February 1 - Lethbridge municipal by-election, 2011...
- Provincial elections in Canada
- Municipal government in CanadaMunicipal government in CanadaA municipal government in Canada is a local council authority which provides local services, facilities, safety and infrastructure for communities. Canada has three levels of government; federal, provincial and municipal. According to Section 92 of the Constitution Act, 1867, "In each Province the...
- Elections in CanadaElections in CanadaCanada holds elections for several levels of government: nationally , provincially and territorially, and municipally. Elections are also held for self governing First Nations and for many other public and private organizations including corporations and trade unions...