Municipal Elections
Opening Discussion
• Have you ever voted for something before?
• How was the winner decided?
• Did you think the process was fair? Why or why not?
Elections
• Elections are contests of leadership, ideas, power and
politics.
• An electoral system or voting system is the method of
electing our politicians.
• Voting systems differ based on the way
choices are presented on a ballot and
the process for determining which
candidate wins.
First-Past-the-Post
• First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) is the voting system currently
used across Canada and for municipal and school board
elections in Saskatchewan.
• The winning candidate must receive the most votes –
this is called plurality or a “winner-take-all” approach.
Example of First-Past-The-Post
CANDIDATE
NUMBER OF VOTES
Thomas
340
Lisa
401
Mohamed
155
Emma
191
Question: Which candidate will become the elected
representative?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKAAq_8Poqo
The Municipal Election Process
Chair of the Council:
• Mayors and reeves are all elected at large (by all eligible
voters in the municipality).
Councillors:
• They can be elected at large or by a ward or division system,
where the municipality is broken down into smaller
geographic areas that vote for their own representatives.
• These divisions are called wards in urban municipalities and
divisions in rural municipalities.
Municipal Election Dates
• Municipal elections in Saskatchewan are held for each office
every four years.
• Urban municipalities and northern municipalities will hold
elections on October 26, 2016. Resort villages held elections
on July 30, 2016.
• Rural municipalities have a staggered approach where they
hold elections for selected divisions every two years. Each
councillor holds office for a four year term.
– Elections for reeves and councillors representing odd-numbered
divisions will be held on October 26, 2016.
– Elections for councillors representing even-numbered divisions are
scheduled for October 24, 2018.
Single vs Multi-Member Races
• In single-member races, only one candidate is elected.
– For example, such as in the case of a race for mayor/reeve or a council
race where only one person is selected to represent one
ward/division.
• In multi-member races, voters elect more than one
representative.
– For example, six councillors may be elected at large for the entire
community.
• Under each election type, voters mark their ballots for as
many candidates as there are seats up for contest
(i.e., six choices if six candidates are elected at large).
Candidates
• A candidate is an individual who competes for the job of
elected representative.
• Candidates campaign during elections to share their ideas and
try to convince fellow citizens to vote for them.
• There are no political parties at the municipal level in
Saskatchewan. The council candidates still have campaign
strategies and a list of goals for the community, but they work
as independent politicians.
Discussion
• Would you ever be a candidate and run for election?
• How would you share your message and convince
others to vote for you?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of working as
an independent politician?
How does someone run for election?
• In order to run as a municipal election candidate in
Saskatchewan, you must be:
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At least 18 years of age on election day;
A Canadian citizen;
A Saskatchewan resident for the past six months;
Not disqualified from being nominated by the Local
Government Elections Act or any other Act.
• Additional qualifications may apply, depending on
the municipality you choose to run in as a candidate.
Getting to know the Candidates
• There are many ways to learn about your local candidates:
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Traditional media sources (radio, TV, newspaper and magazines)
Social media (websites, Twitter, Facebook)
Candidate debates or town hall meetings
Campaign offices and events, door-to-door canvassing
Discussion with family and friends
Final Thoughts
• How should you evaluate candidates?
• What characteristics or qualifications do you expect
from politicians or local leaders?
• Which local issues do you feel need to be addressed
by the next municipal council?
• What else do you want to know or research before
making your decision?
Assignment
In a well written paragraph answer the following:
If you were running for mayor or councillor of your
municipality, what would be your three top priorities or
goals for your community?
Note: You should research issues that are important to
the fine people of Regina and make sure those issues
fall under the municipal umbrella, ella, ella. Hey. Hey.