New regional council to be elected
Windsor, West Hants residents to make history at the polls this March
As election signs begin to pop up throughout Windsor and West Hants, residents should start to expect visitors as candidates vie for votes.
Although nomination day isn’t until Feb. 12, many council hopefuls are already starting their campaigns in earnest.
Windsor voters will likely notice the biggest change when they head to the polls this spring.
Instead of electing four councillors and a mayor, they will be voting for one councillor and one mayor — and they’ll be using paper ballots instead of electronic devices.
The change comes as the result of the Town of Windsor and Municipality of West Hants merging into one municipal unit effect April 1.
“So the significant difference is more for Windsor than West Hants at the time,” said returning officer Rhonda Brown, who also serves as the municipal clerk for West Hants.
Brown said West Hants residents are already used to electing one councillor per district, whereas this will be a new concept for Windsor residents.
But voting changes won’t just affect Windsor.
For the first time, West Hants residents will have a say in who leads the new municipality. In the past, the newly elected council would select which councillor would be the warden. West Hants residents will now have a chance to weigh in on which person running for mayor they think will do the best job.
Three people have already announced their intentions to run for mayor — current West Hants Warden Abraham Zebian, current West Hants councillor Jennifer Daniels, and retiring Windsor lawyer Jim White. More candidates could come forward to seek the position of mayor as the cut off date to run is Feb. 12.
“They will be on the name of every ballot and every district for mayor. So they have to campaign to the entire regional municipality, rather than just a particular district,” said Brown.
As part of the pending amalgamation, Brown said a boundary review was conducted and it has affected a number of ridings, and where people traditionally voted.
“There are boundary changes. We did go through a review earlier this summer and so your
district lines are slightly different and even your district names and district numbers are different,” said Brown, noting that Hantsport used to be District 10 but now it's part of District 8, which also encompasses Mount Denson south.
Both Brown and assistant returning officer Shelleena Thornton said residents will receive a package in the mail closer to the election date outlining when and where they vote and which candidates are running.
Right now, the primary list of electors has been prepared and they’re in the process of making revisions. (Those who turned 18 after Sept. 1, 2019, or moved to the area after Sept. 1, 2019, should contact either Brown or Thornton to ensure their name is on the list.)
“It's new and different and exciting,” said Thornton of the upcoming election and changes. She said it’s important residents learn more about the upcoming election and make sure they cast a ballot — either on election day or via the two advance polls.
The advance polls are Feb. 29 and March 3; the ordinary polling day is March 7.
Brown said if residents haven't received a voter information card by Feb. 25, they should give her or Thornton a call.
RUNNING FOR COUNCIL
As for those looking to secure a seat on the new regional council, both Brown and Thornton urge candidates to let them know of their intentions.
“Especially in communities like this, where it's more close knit, you're more apt to say, ‘well, instead of standing at my door, freezing... for five to 10 minutes, come in,’ and it helps if they know that it is a legit person standing at their door,” said Thornton.
Another suggestion was wearing identification.
Brown said it’s also wise for candidates to appoint their official agent early on.
“Over the course of campaigns, if they get financial contributions, they have to record that. So appointing their official agent early kind of gets that out of the way in case something should happen between now and nomination day,” said Brown.
Candidate school sessions were held during the fall to help those interested in running in the upcoming election better understand the process.
While candidates begin visiting residents, both Brown and Thornton encourage people to express what the merged municipality’s new name should be.
The transition committee, which was tasked with guiding the amalgamation, has set a target of 55 per cent for voter turnout. Both Brown and Thornton are hopeful that figure will be achieved.
“This will be the first regional council, for whoever gets elected in, and there are so many changes with respect to unifying, with respect to coming together for both municipal units, and the new council is going to be helping pave that way,” said Brown. “And the electors, when they cast their ballot, it's a first.”