The City of Windsor has decided to postpone the Ward 7 by-election in light of the current pandemic situation.
City Clerk Valerie Critchley declared an emergency under section 53 of the Municipal Elections Act to postpone the election. The City of Windsor said this does not mean the city is declaring an emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
The declaration only applies to the by-election that was scheduled to take place on April 27, 2020. The decision was made to protect the health and safety of the residents, candidates, and election workers. There was also a question on if locations for polling stations could be acquired during this time.
“In an effort to optimize voter turnout and the campaign efforts already put forth by the Ward 7 by-election candidates, the campaign period will remain open during this emergency period. Additional campaign time will be allotted in the revised by-election timelines once the City Clerk declares the emergency has ended,” read a statement from the City of Windsor.
The nomination period for the by-election ended on Friday, March 13, 2020, at 2 p.m. Nominations will not reopen in this new election timeline. The new date for the election and the advanced voting days will be determined after the city clerk declares the emergency over.
