Appointment of Scrutineer for 2025 Ward 6 By-Election

Use this form to appoint a scrutineer for the 2025 Ward 6 By-election. Multiple scrutineers may be appointed; however, a new form must be completed for each scrutineer.

Candidates are required to provide an email address as part of this form so a copy of their form can be sent to them. At the Voting Place, the scrutineer is required to show a copy of the completed form to election officials - this can be done by either printing off the form or the scrutineer can show a copy of the form on their cell phone. 

Instructions to Scrutineer

• Scrutineers / candidates arriving at a voting place must show this form and personal identification to the election officials and take an oath of secrecy.
• A candidate who enters a voting place is considered to be a scrutineer.
• Only one scrutineer per candidate may be at each ballot box in the voting place.

Rights and Prohibitions

Scrutineers and Candidates Can:

• Enter the voting place 15 minutes before it opens and inspect the ballot boxes and the ballots and all other papers, forms and documents relating to the vote (but not so as to delay the timely opening of the voting place).
• Place his or her own seal on the ballot box, immediately before the opening of the voting place, so that ballots can be deposited in the box and cannot be withdrawn without breaking the seal.
• Examine the Voters’ List periodically to determine who has voted or to count how many Electors have voted but may not interfere with the conduct of the voting process.
• Examine each ballot as they are fed into the vote tabulator (but not touch the ballot).
• Object to a ballot or to the counting of votes in a ballot.
• Sign the statement of the results of the election prepared by the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO), after the poll has closed and the DRO has completed the statement.
• Place his or her own seal on the ballot box immediately after the close of voting on each day of an advance vote, so that ballots cannot be deposited or withdrawn without breaking the seal.

Scrutineers and Candidates Cannot:

• Be near enough to the vote tabulator to see how a voter has marked their ballot.
• Campaign at the voting place.
• Attempt, directly or indirectly, to interfere with how an elector votes.
• Display a candidate’s election material (including buttons, pins, etc.) in a voting place.
• Compromise the secrecy of voting.
• Obtain or attempt to obtain, in a voting place, any information about how an elector intends to vote or has voted.
• Communicate any information obtained at a voting place about how an elector intends to vote or has voted.
• Park a vehicle displaying campaign material in the parking lot of the voting place.
• Speak to or provide assistance to any electors in the voting place. 
• Act as an interpreter (an elector must make their own arrangements).

Note:

• It is no longer mandatory that scrutineers be 16 years of age or older to work at an election.
• The DRO is responsible for the conduct of the Voting Place and no candidate or scrutineer has the right to interfere with the DRO in the discharge of his or her duties.
• Anyone who is creating a disturbance at a Voting Place will be removed by the DRO.
• The seal(s) must not contain any writing that could be considered 'election campaigning’, therefore, the name of the candidate is not permitted on the seal;
• Scrutineers/candidates who wish to have a discussion with another candidate or scrutineer must leave the Voting Place to carry on their discussion outside of the Voting Place.
• No campaign material or literature of any nature whatsoever shall be displayed within the Voting Place. The boundaries of the Voting Place are the boundaries of the property where the Voting Place is located and includes the parking lot.
• Scrutineers/candidates wishing to observe the transmission of results must be at the Voting Place 15 minutes prior to closing. No one will be admitted to the Voting Place after the polls are closed.
• Scrutineers/candidates wishing to observe the counting of advance votes must be at City Hall prior to 8:00. p.m. on Election Day.
• The total of votes cast for each candidate as counted by the vote tabulating equipment is final. The DRO is not required to do a second recount.
• Election officials have the right to remove from the voting place any individual who is causing a disturbance.
• Candidates and scrutineers forfeit their right to be present if they disrupt the voting place or interfere with the process.