THUNDER BAY – The finish line may still be months away, but the race to form Thunder Bay’s next city council will kick off in earnest on Monday, when candidates can begin filing nomination papers to run in the Oct. 24 municipal election.
The City of Thunder Bay announced Friday it has launched a website tracking candidates for the 2022 municipal election who have filed their paperwork at city hall. The website will be updated daily beginning on Monday.
Candidates have until the deadline of Aug. 19 to file their nomination papers, along with endorsements from at least 25 eligible voters and a $100 filing fee ($200 for mayoral candidates). The nominations won’t be officially valid until certified by the city clerk, a process that must be completed by Aug. 22.
Positions elected will include mayor, five at-large councillors, and seven ward councillors, as well as trustees on the four local school boards.
Online voting in the election will be available 24 hours a day starting Oct. 5, and running until 8 p.m. on voting day, Oct. 24. Voters will also have access to drive-thru voting for the first time this year.
Nearly 58 per cent of voters in Thunder Bay’s 2018 election cast their ballots online, while 37 per cent voted in person, and five per cent voted by phone – an option the city won’t offer in 2022.
Voters are encouraged to confirm online they are on the municipal voters list, which is separate from that for provincial and federal elections.
