Election sign bylaw approved by town council for 2026 municipal election

An election sign bylaw has been approved and candidates will be able to put their signs up right from the start of the nomination period.

Councillor Don McArthur sought the amendment for restoring the limit signs can be up right from the start of the nomination period, which is May 1. A report from manager of licensing and enforcement B.J. Wilder had recommended the period be reduced from 184 days to 71 days, meaning signs would not have been able to have been put up until after the nomination period closed, which is after Aug. 21.

McArthur said he had no issue with the bulk of Wilder’s report, noting candidates would get e-mails last time saying their signs had been seized with the report addressing right-of-ways and where election signs can be placed. Shortening the period of time to have signs erected from 184 days to 71 days was of concern, because as a candidate, “it’s a game of getting your name out there.”

McArthur pointed out he was a rookie candidate in 2018 and that meant “everything matters, every day matters.” Incumbents have advantages over newcomers because their names are already known, he said. He wanted to know how the time periods for signs compared with other Essex County municipalities.

Wilder said his research showed everyone except LaSalle is using May 1 as the starting point for allowing signage. According to Wilder, LaSalle’s start date for candidates being able to erect signage is Sept. 11.

“We are proposing Aug. 21 but everyone else is allowing signs May 1,” said Wilder, during the debate on the matter at the April 13 meeting.

Councillor Peter Courtney said it was the biggest issue in the 2022 municipal election and said there was “an astronomical amount” to get a sign back. He said there is 24 hours of notification in case a sign in an illegal location, so that it can be moved.

Courtney said he loves the bylaw except for one thing. There are old properties with structures that abut or are on town easements. There is limited place to put a sign and wanted “to find a balance” to where a sign could go.

“Why can we not for election put our signs on these little right-of-ways?” he asked.

Courtney questioned the fairness for downtown residents who don’t have the space for a lawn sign on their front lawns.

“It’s frustrating for them and for us,” he said.

Wilder said the Election Act is clear about using municipal property to support a partisan use. He said that includes election signs, but acknowledged where a front property line doesn’t give a resident enough space to have a sign.

“At the end of the day, we have to adopt policies and write bylaws that fall in line with provincial legislation,” said Wilder. 

Wilder said staff can drive by signs that are on town property and not creating hazards, but said the problem is while they are not permitting the violation, “it’s what happens when the complaints come in?”

Constant feedback from candidates is improved education on signage so they are not taken by bylaw staff.

“We think we got it right,” said Wilder. “We had a handful of people put together some really good information and education tools for the campaign teams. We’re putting more information out there.”

Wilder said his concern is the complaint process may be used to have signs relocated.

“We’re adopting a model this election that unless there’s a safety hazard, we’re going to give candidates an opportunity to move the sign,” he said. “Our goal is to take zero signs and have more diplomatic process and have candidates move it themselves.” 

Mayor Michael Prue said he thought 71 days was “rather long,” and recalled a motion he made while on Toronto city council to have the signage period reduced to 30 days.

“There were so many signs on the streets for 30 days and nobody missed them. I think 71 days is a little long but I can live with it,” said Prue.

Prue said he couldn’t vote McArthur’s amendment, stating the town did a good job regarding its sign bylaw and “I don’t see any huge advantage” for incumbents. He believed the actual campaign should start Aug. 21, when the nomination period ends.

“You’re either in or you’re out on that day,” he said.

The mayor questioned why a candidate would need 184 days instead of 71 and didn’t believe there was any advantage or disadvantage to any candidate. He said Councillor Diane Pouget didn’t put up many signs at all “and she seems to do alright.”

Prue called the 184-day period “excessive.”

McArthur maintained the longer period is important, stating running for office is both thrilling and challenging, calling it “one big white knuckle ride.” He said in 2018, signs gave him momentum during his campaign.

“That’s the reason I ended up in 2018 getting elected to Amherstburg council, one of the greatest honours and privileges of my life,” said McArthur. “I would hate to deny another rookie candidate the same opportunities that I had, the same opportunity we all had.”

Signs can get “a little messy,” he acknowledged, and during an election campaign, a candidate knows signs have to be fixed after windy days.

“The more people who run competitive campaigns and discuss the issues and debate the issues, the better,” he said. “An election campaign is an opportunity to define your community and it shouldn’t be limited in any way whatsoever. The more diverse the candidate base, the better it is.”

Giving people a “fair shake” to get their names out there is important, said McArthur, and he believed it was unfair to trim the period to 71 days.

“I think it does a disservice to the democratic process,” said McArthur. “I understand it’s well-intentioned, but I think it does a disservice to new candidates and democracy so I can’t support that.”

McArthur noted five of the other Essex County municipalities allow signage right from the start. He also invoked Pouget’s name, saying she has great name recognition, but a new candidate needs to get their name out there early.

Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb agreed with McArthur that a shorter sign periods benefits the incumbents. He said once a candidate gathers their 25 signatures and submits their nomination forms, they should be allowed to put up their signs right after. 

Gibb added campaigning is about when a person is authorized to be an official candidate.

“This should be as open and welcoming a process as possible,” said Gibb.

Councillor Molly Allaire said she preferred a shorter period and also questioned whether it carries an advantage. 

Courtney said the nomination period is large, so to be fair, once the nomination period closes, that is when the campaign truly starts.

“Being an incumbent may hurt you more than help you,” he said, stating he wanted a 71-day window for signage.

Pouget supported McArthur’s amendment “for the reasons I want to be fair to the people no one has ever heard of before.”“They should have the same opportunity that we had,” said Pouget. “I think, to be fair, I do support the amendment.”

McArthur’s amendment to allow a 184-day sign period passed in a 5-2 vote, with Gibb, McArthur, Pouget, Courtney and Councillor Linden Crain in favour. Allaire and Prue were opposed.

Other amendments for the new bylaw were reducing the election sign removal fee from $205 per sign to $25 per sign and eliminating the daily sign storing fee completely.

Election sign bylaw approved by town council for 2026 municipal election

By Ron Giofu