The by-election is being held in Ward 4. Photo Credit: Pexels.
The City of Hamilton has announced that an upcoming Jan. 6, 2025 trustee by-election in the city’s Ward 4 (East Hamilton) will allow for online voting for the first time.
Ward 4 runs north-south from Hamilton Harbour to the Escarpment and east-west from the Red Hill Valley Parkway to Ottawa Street.
The by-election was called after outgoing Ward 4 Public School Board Trustee Ray Mulholland, 90, announced his retirement due to health issues.
Mulholland, who had been granted leave from his duties back in April 2024, served in office for 52 years.
The introduction of online voting will be included alongside traditional in-person voting, “offering an alternative that accommodates busy schedules and mobility needs,” according to the city.
Nevertheless, at this point online voting is only being introduced as a pilot project specific to the Jan. 6 trustee election.
Council has not decided yet if they will be rolling out online voting for the 2026 Municipal Election which involves voting for mayor and councillors in addition to trustees.
A city statement notes, “The addition of online voting will provide staff with experience working with a vendor to facilitate an alternative voting method. The insights will inform Council’s decision on voting methods for the 2026 Municipal Election.”
Registration for online voting opened on Dec. 1, 2024 and will run until Jan. 5, 2025.
Registration can be made at www.elections.hamilton.ca.
Residents will have to upload a piece of acceptable identification in order to confirm their elector eligibility and provide their contact information.
Those who register to vote online will then be able to do so from Jan. 2 to Jan. 6, 2025 from any internet-connected device.
The city says that the online voting system “meets the highest security standards, employs encryption, multi-factor authentication, and real-time monitoring.”
In-person voting will also be offered at three locations in the ward.
Those polling locations are Rosedale Arena and Seniors Centre at 100 Greenhill Avenue, Sir Winston Churchill Recreation Centre at 1709 Main Street East, and BGC Hamilton-Halton at 45 Ellis Avenue.
In-person advanced voting will be held on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 and Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In-person election day voting on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Online voting terminals will also be available at the polling locations for those who have registered for online voting.
A Nov. 25, 2024 press release also states that eligible Ward 4 residents will receive voters’ cards with this voting information “in the coming weeks.”
It should be noted that the upcoming Jan. 6 by-election is only for public school trustee for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB).
Hamilton’s Catholic school board, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, already has sitting trustee Josie Angelini.
Those who are listed as supporters of the public-school board on the Voters’ List are permitted to vote.
Anyone who wishes to add themselves to the Voters’ List can do so at the Office of the City Clerk at City Hall by filling out a form and presenting valid identification or by registering at a poll during in-person voting.
There are eight candidates for the vacant trustee seat.
Those candidates are Alison Bailey, Amy Cowling, Paul Jaye, Amanda Neale-Robinson, Larry Pattison Jr., Mariam Sulimankhil, Jordan Williams, and Abby Zaitley.
The Hamilton Independent will provide more information on the candidates in the coming weeks.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
