Municipal by-election nominations begin, voting period to be in January

Tim Brody - Editor

Nominations to fill a vacancy on Sioux Lookout Municipal Council through a by-election will begin to be accepted today (Oct.30) through the Clerk’s Office.
Municipal Clerk Brian MacKinnon shared that Nomination Day (the last day on which candidates may file their nominations) will be December 13th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
MacKinnon said nominations will be accepted at the Clerk’s Office (located at 25 Fifth Avenue) (by either the Clerk/Returning Officer or the Acting Deputy Clerk/Deputy Returning Officer, Jackie Trenholm) during the following business hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Nominations will not be accepted on November 11, 2019, as our offices will be closed in observance of Remembrance Day,” he added.
“We will be publishing the Notice of Nomination for Office within the next few days, including in the October 30th edition of the Sioux Lookout Bulletin,” MacKinnon informed.
He clarified, “After speaking with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, we have learned that there is a larger window in which to hold the election, which is very good news for both potential candidates and electors in Sioux Lookout. The By-election period will not be as compressed and so close to the holiday season as we originally thought. Voting Day will be January 27, 2020. The Voting Period will be January 20th through the 27th. We will be using the Telephone/Internet voting method, as was the case in the 2018 General Election.”
“More information, including when and how eligible electors can check the voters list to ensure their names are on the list, information about the Telephone/Internet voting method, available supports from the Municipality respecting the By-election process and voting process, and other matters will be released in the coming weeks,” MacKinnon concluded.