Elections

A Provincial Election has been called for Thursday, February 27, 2025. For information on the upcoming Provincial Election and to ensure you are on the voters list, please visit https://www.elections.on.ca/en.html.  Provincial candidates are required to adhere to the Town of Collingwood Election Sign By-law. See below for more information on election signs. 

Voter Registration

When can election signs by displayed

Signs may only be displayed 60 days prior to fixed election date and must be removed within 72 hours after the date of the election by the candidate or candidate’s representative.

Election Sign Deposit

$100 deposit fee must be provided to the Town in the form of cash, credit care, debit or cheque payable to the Town of Collingwood before any election signs are erected. Deposit is refunded upon the removal of all signs following the election, less any sign removal fees (see below).

Municipal Identification Stickers (X50)

Only 50 signs may be displayed on public property. All signs on public property require a Municipal Election Sign Identification Sticker which will be provided upon receipt of deposit fee. Stickers are not required for signs on private property.

How big can my election signs be? (Maximum Display Area)

Public Property: 1.0m2 
Private Property: 0.56m2 

Where can I put my signs?

Signs on Private Property
•    Must have approval of the property owner or tenant
•    Must be set back 3m from the sidewalk/road
•    Must not block the visibility of another election sign
Signs on Public Property
•    Only permitted on the landscaped boulevard in front of property zoned as commercial or industrial (see restrictions)

Display of Third-Party Advertiser Signs

Signed cannot be located a minimum of 50m from any candidate election sign, and must not block the visibility of another election sign. 

Restrictions

Election signs may not be displayed:

• in a manner that obstructs pedestrians, traffic or fire access
• on or overhanging public property
• if illuminated, electronic or has moving parts
• on a utility or light pole
• on billboards
• within medians, centre boulevards or traffic islands
• on a tree, stone or other natural object
• on any kind of sign
• on a sound barrier wall or fence
• on a bus shelter
• within a traffic sight triangle
• inside or outside a municipal facility
• within 100m of a voting place
• on a vehicle parked within 100m of a voting place
• in a manner that is dangerous
• in front of educational institutions, municipal facilities, parks, trails, and other governmental facilities
• must not block the visibility of another election sign

Information to include on your signs:

• name of candidate
• name of the third party advertiser (if applicable)
• municipality where third-party advertiser is registered (if applicable)
• contact information of third-party advertiser (if applicable)

What cannot appear on your signs:

• town logo or marks

Removal of Signs

Signs may be removed by the Town without notice if deemed a hazard to the public or 12 hours after the candidate/third-party advertiser has been asked to move a sign. Each sign removal results in a part of the election sign deposit being retained by the Town up to the full amount after three such instances.

Recycling of Election Signs

Coroplast is a non-biodegradable material that is not accepted in the everyday curbside waste collection program. However, it can be recycled and all candidates are encouraged to do so at an appropriate County of Simcoe Waste Management Facility. For further information on the recycling of election signs and the location of nearby Waste Management Facilities please contact the County of Simcoe at: Phone: 705-735-6901 | Toll Free: 1-800-263-3199
E-mail: info@simcoe.ca | Website: www.simcoe.ca

Have a question about election signs? We’re here to help! 
Clerk Services, Town Hall, 97 Hurontario St., Collingwood
Phone: (705) 445-1030
Email: clerk@collingwood.ca 

This guide has been prepared by the Town of Collingwood’s Clerk’s Department for information purposes only. To view the full by-law visit: Election Sign By-law | Town of Collingwood. It is not an official version of By-law No. 2018-024 Election Sign By-law

Election results are in!

Collingwood hit a voter turnout of 39.67% at the close of polls on October 24!

Final Summary of Election Results
Town of Collingwood
Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (s.55(4)), the Act

I hereby certify that during the municipal election held on Monday, October 24, 2022 in accordance with Section 53(1) of the Act for the offices listed below, the certified candidates received the votes that follow their respective names:

All candidates and registered third party advertisers that participated in the 2022 Municipal and School Board Election are required to file financial statements by Friday, March 31, 2023 at 2:00 PM unless their campaign period was extended. The statements provide how much a candidate or registered third party advertiser spent and contributions they received for their campaign.

All financial statements submitted by candidates and registered third party advertisers are available by request at the Town Hall, 97 Hurontario Street, Collingwood. There were no registered third party advertisers in the 2022 municipal and school board election.

Below you will find a summary of the financial statements received and whether they met the filing requirements outlined in Municipal Elections Act. There is a 30 day grace period for those who miss the deadline to file a financial statement, provided that the candidate pays a $500 late filing fee to the municipality.

Each municipality and school board must appoint a compliance audit committee. Collingwood is part of a Joint Compliance Audit Committee that is shared between the lower tier municipalities within the County of Simcoe: Adjala-Tosorontio, Bradford-West Gwillimbury, Clearview, Collingwood, Essa, Innisfil, Midland, New Tecumseth, Oro-Medonte, Penetanguishene, Ramara, Severn, Springwater, Tay, Tiny, Wasaga Beach, and the City of Orillia. Compliance Audit Committee meetings are administered through the County of Simcoe, with agendas and minutes of the committee meetings available on CivicWeb.

Committee Mandate: An investigative/adjudicative body created to enforce provincially enacted laws related to municipal election campaign funding.

Every candidate and every third party advertiser must file a financial statement which reports their contributions and expenses.

If you are an eligible voter and you believe, on reasonable grounds, that a candidate or a third party advertiser has contravened the election finance rules, you may apply for a compliance audit of the candidate’s or the third party advertiser’s finances. The application must be in writing and must set out the reasons why you believe that the candidate or third party advertiser has contravened the rules.

An application for a compliance audit must be submitted to the municipal clerk within 90 days of the filing deadline. The deadline for candidates and third party advertisers to file their financial statements is the last Friday in March following the election (March 31, 2023).

The deadline for a candidate to file a supplementary financial statement is the last Friday in September (September 29, 2023). If a candidate files a supplementary financial statement, an application for a compliance audit may be submitted within 90 days of the supplementary filing deadline.

Timelines:

March 31, 2023: Initial financial statements and auditor's report (if required) are required to be filed by all candidates

May 2, 2023: Report setting out all candidates and registered third parties in an elcetion along with an indication of whether each has filed a financial statement and auditor's report to be made available to the public

June 29, 2023: Last day for an elector to apply for a compliance audit of a candidate or third party's initial financial statement

Purpose: The following procedure will be used when appointing an Eligible Elector to fill a vacancy in the office Councillor.

Council Vacancy Appointment Procedure