Q&A for Prospective and Registered Candidates
April 30th, 2026
1. Can I receive a paper copy of some of the background documents?
Yes, as part of the nomination collection, prospective candidates can request a paper copy of supplementary documents, and one copy will be provided.
2. How many electors are in the Town of Aylmer?
The official preliminary number of electors is 5,619. This is based on the September 2022 number of electors.
As of April 27th, the current number is 6,545, with the difference between at least partially attributable to the move from MPAC's voter's list to the Election Ontario list.
Staff can additionally report that the new Election Ontario list appears to be much more accurate and up to date.
3. The Deputy Mayor is no longer directly elected. How will the Deputy Mayor be appointed?
At the first Regular Meeting of Council of the new term the Deputy Mayor will be appointed based on the Councillor who received the highest number of votes during the previous Municipal election process. If they do not wish to assume the role, they can decline the appointment, in which case it is offered the Councillor who received the second highest number of votes. Rules additionally account for all members being acclaimed. The Town has incorporated this into our Council procedural bylaw. The rules are the following:
11. Appointment of the Deputy Mayor
11.1 At the Regular Meeting of Council in December of an election year, Council shall, by By-Law, appoint a Councillor as Deputy Mayor, to hold office for the term of Council. The appointed Councillor shall be the Councillor who received the highest number of votes during the previous Municipal election process.
11.2 ln the event that the Councillor who received the highest number of votes during the election process does not accept the appointment or becomes unable to perform his or her duties as Deputy Mayor, the Councillor who received the second highest number of votes during the election process will be appointed as Deputy Mayor.
11.3 ln the event that the Councillor who received the second highest number of votes during the election process does not accept the appointment or becomes unable to perform his or her duties as Deputy Mayor, or in the event of all Councillors being acclaimed in the previous Municipal election process, Members of Council shall, from amongst themselves, select the Councillor to be appointed as Deputy Mayor.
The background to why this change was made is available here.
April 8th, 2026
1. What if someone moves to the municipality and wants to run as a candidate?
A person can run for office if they are eligible to vote in the municipality and are not disqualified by law. Candidates must provide proof of identity and address when they submit their nomination papers. This must follow Ontario Regulation 304/13, Voter Idenification.
You must submit this proof by 2:00 p.m. on Friday August 21, 2026 (Nomination Day). If you do not, your nomination will not be accepted.
If you recently moved, you can use documents like:
- A lease or mortgage agreement
- A mortgage statement
- A government-issued ID
Different rules apply for people without a permanent address.
2. What is a third-party advertisement and a third-party advertiser?
A third-party advertisement is an ad with an associated expense that supports or opposes a candidate but is not created by the candidate or their campaign.
A third-party advertiser is a person, business, or union in Ontario that registers with the Clerk to pays for these ads.
They must follow rules similar to candidates.
Examples:
- A community group pays for a newspaper ad supporting a candidate.
- A local business pays for a Facebook ad against a candidate.
- A person pays for lawn signs promoting a candidate (not part of the campaign).
3. Are there tax credits for donating to a municipal candidate?
No. Donations to municipal candidates in Ontario are not eligible for tax credits. Some municipalities have tax rebate programs; the Town of Aylmer does not.