What you need to know to vote in the upcoming municipal election

Voting in the municipal election Marc Lemoine, city clerk and senior election official, discusses who is eligible to vote and how to make sure you’re on the voters list.

Winnipeg’s 2022 municipal election is less than two months away, and there are a few things voters need to check before casting their ballot, including whether they’re eligible to vote and if they’re on the voter's list.

“City council is your mechanism that’s going to lead you through the next four years and direct how your tax dollars are going to be turned into programs,” said Marc Lemoine, Winnipeg’s city clerk and senior election official, in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Wednesday.

“They play an incredibly important role, so it’s so important for you to have your say.”

He explained that to be eligible to vote in Winnipeg’s civic election you need to be a Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years of age or older on election day. You also have to be a Winnipeg resident or property owner since April 26, 2022, which is six months before the election.

He noted there’s a few things you can do to find out if you’re on the voter's list.

“You can always call 311 if you want to, they can talk to you in person,” Lemoine said.

“But the easier way is to go to our website…there’s a voter registration button there, click on there, and it will walk you right through the process.”

Those using the website will need to provide their name, address and birth date to determine if they’re registered to vote.

Lemoine added that Winnipeggers have about two weeks left to get on the voter's list, which closes on Aug. 31.

He explained there are certain advantages to being on this list, including receiving a card that will tell you where to vote on election day, as well as provide some advanced opportunities.

“It makes it much easier to vote when you actually go to vote because you’ll be able to go right up, get your name struck off and get your ballot,” he said.

However, just because you are not on the voter's list, does not mean you can’t vote. It just means that you’ll have to fill out some information at the poll, so the experience will take a bit longer.

PICKING A CANDIDATE

For those who are unsure who they should vote for, Lemoine recommends going to the City of Winnipeg’s website, where there is a list of the candidates who have registered so far.

“On our website we allow candidates to post things like their photo, information about themselves, their policies, contact information, all that type of different stuff,” he said.

“So people can go off to their websites, their Twitter feeds, their Instagram feeds and find out about the candidates.”

WHY SHOULD YOU VOTE?

Lemoine said it’s important to vote in a civic election because everything city council does impacts you on a daily basis.

“Whether it’s garbage pick up, roads, water, police, safety – all those things that affect you on a daily basis that the higher levels of government don’t deal with daily,” he said.

“It’s important for you to get out and have your say and elect the people that reflect your values.”

The municipal election takes place on Oct. 26, 2022.

- With files from CTV’s Ainsley McPhail.