Information for Voters

When is the next municipal election?

Elections for municipal governments in Ontario are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October. Voting day for the next City of Thunder Bay municipal election is October 24, 2022. 

Why is it important to vote?

Who can vote?

You are eligible to vote if on Voting Day, October 24 you are:

• a Canadian citizen
• at least 18 years old
• a resident of Thunder Bay, or the owner or tenant of land in Thunder Bay, or the spouse of
  such a person
• not prohibited from voting 

Student voting

Canadian students who are from outside Thunder Bay, but living in Thunder Bay while attending school are allowed to vote in both their home municipality and Thunder Bay.

Who am I voting for?

The following positions will be elected in 2022:

• Mayor - 1 to be elected
• At Large Councillors - 5 to be elected
• Ward Councillors - 7 to be elected, one for each ward
• School Board Trustees - see more information below

Depending on your school support, you will elect trustees for one of the following school boards:

• Lakehead District School Board - 8 trustees to be elected
• Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board - 6 trustees to be elected
• Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario - 1 trustee to be elected
• Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales - 5 trustees to be elected

"It's important to vote to be able to influence change in your community for the better."

"If we don't vote, someone else will make the decision for us."

Get to know your candidates

Each candidate was invited to submit a photo and profile to provide information for the voters. Those profiles can be viewed here.

Various community groups have organized events to help voters get to know the candidates. Some of those events are listed below.

"Check Out" the Candidates! Thunder Bay Public Library will host a mayoral debate on October 12 as well as candidate Q & A sessions on various dates starting October 3. Click the link for more details.

Leaders Luncheon with Mayoral Candidates. Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce has organized a luncheon on October 5 where mayoral candidates will respond to questions relative to the concerns and challenges facing Chamber Member business owners and operators. Click the link for more information or to register.

Appointing a voting proxy

If you are unable to vote for any reason you may appoint a proxy, someone to go to a poll and cast a ballot on your behalf. The following rules apply to voting proxies:

• You may appoint only one person to be your voting proxy.
• A person may act as a voting proxy for only one person who is not a family member.
• One person may act as a voting proxy for any or all of their immediate family members, including spouse, sibling, parent, child, grandparent or grandchild.
• A person cannot be appointed as a voting proxy for a non-family member and a family member at the same time.

To appoint a voting proxy, you must fill out two copies of the Appointment for Voting Proxy Form - Form 3
and give both copies to the person that you are appointing as your proxy.

The person you appoint must be eligible to vote in Thunder Bay, and should be someone you trust to mark the ballot in the way you have instructed them to.  

You can appoint a proxy after August 22, 2022 when nominations have been certified the City Clerk.

Your voting proxy must take both copies of Form 3 to the Office of the City Clerk at City Hall, 500 Donald Street East to get them certified. Once the forms have been certified, your voting proxy may cast a vote on your behalf at an in-person poll on voting day, October 24, 2022.