Anyone planning to run in the upcoming municipal election in October has just more than three weeks to declare their candidacy. As of July 28, officials in Greater Sudbury said 27 people have filed to run for city council and six for mayor — a lower early turnout than in the 2022 election. “Typically, we see a period of activity at the very beginning when nominations open and then a relatively calm period,” said city solicitor and clerk Eric Labelle. “And at the end, we usually see another number of people register at that point. Some people just prefer to wait until the end to register their candidacy.” To be eligible for a spot on the municipal ballot, Labelle said that applicants must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old and a resident of the city. Applicants must also have 25 supporting signatures and complete the necessary paperwork, either online or in person at Tom Davies Square. Labelle said certain individuals are barred from running for municipal council due to potential conflicts of interest. “There are certain categories of people who can’t run for municipal council,” Labelle said. “A city employee, a judge, an elected member of provincial parliament or federal government would not be permitted to run for municipal office.” Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh, who is not running this time after representing the ward since 2014, said much has changed in the 12 years since her first campaign. “It used to be everybody got the newspaper, right?” McIntosh said. Campaigning has changed “You could put an ad in the newspaper and say, ‘I’m running,’ right? And now there are so many different platforms for people to reach out and talk to you on. So that has changed a great deal. Our population has grown as well in Sudbury, so there are more people to connect with than there were 12 years ago.” Despite the explosion of digital platforms and social media, McIntosh’s top piece of advice for candidates is to get out and speak to residents face-to-face through door-knocking. “That’s the best way to connect with people,” she said. “People want to feel like they know you. Municipal elected officials are the closest politicians to the public, and they do want to feel like they know you and that they can call you.” While not a candidate this time around, McIntosh said she will be watching the election closely. “This work has been very rewarding and you get to meet some incredible people -- not just the famous people that come to celebrate, but also the incredible people that make up our city,” she said. “There are some really wonderful people who are salt-of-the-earth, community-minded people who are really the backbone of our community. And I’ve got to meet them and I’ve gotten to work with them and I’m really going to miss that a great deal.” The deadline to file to be a candidate is Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. The municipal election takes place Oct. 26.
