With the candidate total currently sitting at zero in North Kent, it raises the question: what if no one files their nomination papers for Ward 4?
We posed the question to Judy Smith, the municipal clerk and manager of municipal governance, who said the process is defined in the Municipal Act.
To start with “basically, as Clerk I can extend the nomination period briefly,” Smith said.
The Municipal Act says if the number of nominations filed for an office is less than the number of persons to be elected, additional nominations may be filed between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the Wednesday following nomination day.
In this case, it would be Wednesday, September 17.
If after this date only one or two candidates put their name forward, they would be automatically acclaimed and elected.
Smith said this does not necessarily mean the candidate will be from Ward 4.
“Anyone eligible to run in the election could put their name in…. and they would automatically be acclaimed,” she said. “A candidate running in Ward 6 could change where they are running, and automatically be acclaimed in Ward 4 for example.”
Smith said if the extended nomination period passes and still no one has filed, the newly elected council would have to give direction to fill the vacancy or vacancies.
Smith said this would take place after December 1, and a few possible directions could happen:
1) The new council could appoint a candidate or candidates for Ward 4.
2) A by-election could take place specifically in Ward 4.
3) The positions would remain vacant, considering quorum could still be achieved by Chatham-Kent Council.
“A lot of constituents would be unrepresented if that ever was the case,” Smith said. “We’ve never had this happen.”
The deadline to file nomination papers for the Chatham-Kent election is Sept. 12.
Election day is Oct. 27.
