Elections

The next municipal election in the town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s is Thursday, October 2nd, 2025. Casting a ballot for a Mayor and a ballot for six Councillors allows residents to participate in electing officials who will make decisions on their behalf. In person and mail in ballot options are available for all residents (proxy certificates are permitted).

In preparations for the 2025 Municipal Election, and to ensure the electoral process is successful, positions will be available for interested persons on polling day. Please submit your interest for the following positions to Returning Officer Claudine Murray: Deputy Returning Officer, Poll Clerk, Check-in Supervisor, Vote-by-Mail Supervisor, Door Guard.

The Returning Officer is Claudine Murray, the Town Clerk, and is responsible for all aspects of the Municipal Election. Contact information is [email protected].

As updates and information become available for the 2025 municipal election, this page will be updated.

Previous Municipal Election Information, 2021:

Details including information for voters and candidate nominations, please click on page links below:

 

Nomination Dates

Nomination period was from August 24-31, 2021.

Notice of Candidates 2021 NOTICE OF CANDIDATES

VBM-07 NOTICE OF CANDIDATES-signed

The following persons have been nominated for election to council:
For Mayor:
-Johnny Hanlon of 10 Bayview Heights
-Carol McDonald of 8 West Point Road

For Councillor

-Dave Bartlett of 127 Dogberry Hill Road
-Paul Duffett of 219 Old Broad Cove Road
-Darryl J. Harding
-Cyril Hayden of 811 St. Thomas Line
-Jeff Laham of 82 Bauline Line Extension
-Tina Neary of 108 Beachy Cove Road
-Madonna Stewart Sharpe of 961 Thorburn Road
-Moses Tucker of 313 Bennetts Road
-Gavin Will of 198 Nearys Pond Road

The most recent election for Council took place on September 26, 2017.  This election determined the town’s municipal governance for the next four years. These are the 2017 ELECTION RESULTS.

Candidate Qualification

A resident is qualified to be nominated as a candidate for Council who:

(a)  is eligible to vote in an election held under the Municipal Elections Act in the municipality in which he or she is nominated to serve as a Councillor;

(b)  is not in arrears of taxes or other charges payable to the municipality; and

(c)  is ordinarily a resident for a period of 30 days before the commencement of the nomination period either in the municipality or in an area that on election day is part of a municipality.

Nomination procedure

A candidate for the office of PCSP Councillor shall be nominated by two residents who are eligible to vote. A nomination shall be in writing; shall state the name and civic address of the candidate; be signed by the proposer and seconder, both of whom shall be present together with the candidate who shall also sign signifying his or her acceptance. Note: the requirement to be present may change due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Click here to view a sample candidate nomination form

A candidate for mayor shall be nominated in the same manner as a Councillor but shall run as a candidate for mayor only.

A candidate at the time of his or her nomination shall deposit a sum of $10 with the Returning Officer and that sum is not refundable.

The Returning Officer will provide a Candidate Information booklet to take home for reference.

The Returning Officer shall give notice of the names of the candidates, the time of the election, how to vote by mail, and the location of polling booths, by publishing in our local newspaper, in the town hall and in other public places.

Before running for office

To better understand and prepare for the election, and potentially the position of Councillor, a candidate may wish to consider:

  • Attending Regular Public Council Meetings and see how they operate (every second Tuesday, virtually at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83378401222 at 7:00 p.m.);
    • Currently Council meetings are held virtually via Zoom.
  • Review a copy of the Council’s strategic plan and annual budget;
  • Speak to past Mayors and Councillors; and
  • Research areas of importance and become more involved in the activities of the community.
  • Develop a platform to run on. A platform consists of the ideas, goals and beliefs a candidate is campaigning for. It lets the voters know what position they have on issues.

When developing a platform you can:

  • Do research on prevalent issues;
  • Talk and listen to the residents including youth and elders;
  • Make only factual statements that you believe in;
  • Take a stand on issues, but do not make promises;
  • Do not limit yourself to one issue; and
  • Commit to standing behind certain community projects and issues.

Candidates are responsible for understanding all legislation concerning elections, including nomination, eligibility, campaigning restrictions, campaign finance and disclosure, election offences and prohibitions at voting stations.

Time Commitment of a Councillor

Council holds a Regular Public Council Meeting every two weeks and each Councillor is assigned by the Mayor to be on three committee meetings which meet every two weeks on the opposite week of Regular Public Council Meeting.

As a Councillor, you can expect a minimum  of 10 hours per week, however depending on additional responsibility’s and/or council activities some weeks will require more time and effort.  A Councillor may also volunteer to represent Council at meetings of other organizations, community events and other locations.

Check out makeyourmarknl for campaigning resources.

Campaigning

Campaigning is an opportunity to convince voters that you are the best candidate. A campaign usually involves talking and listening to residents, distributing promotional materials, using websites and social media and attending a ‘Meet the Candidates’ forum hosted by the town. Many of the usual campaign practices may be impacted by Covid-19.

Election signs policy is available here and states signs may be erected on or after nomination day on public property, i.e. August 24, 2021 to September 30, 2021.

A candidate shall not campaign or distribute campaign materials in an area that is less than 30 metres from the entrance to a polling station or a vote by mail drop box.

Successful Candidates

The votes are counted and shared on election night in Council Chambers. This may change due to Covid-19.

If a recount is held, the notice must not be more than 3 days after the date of the election and the Returning Officer shall commence the requested recount not more than 3 days after receiving that request.

A candidate elected shall, not more than 90 days after the election, file with the Returning Officer a statement with the total amount of the contributions received by him or her and the amount of the contributions donated to his or her campaign by contributors that exceed $100 and the contributors of those amounts.

Newly Elected Council Members

Council meetings and Standing Committee meetings will be scheduled by the Mayor, with each Councillor’s schedule in mind, and commence within two weeks of the election. The Town Clerk will provide an information package for each Councillor to take home for reference. Multiple trainings will be provided by the town, as well as by the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

A successful candidate shall sign an oath of office, a conflict-of-interest statement and campaign contribution form.

Where Do I Vote?

Vote in person on election day on September 28th, 2021 from 8:00am to 8:00pm!

Vote By Mail

  • If you registered to Vote by Mail, your return envelope from your Vote by Mail kit must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to be accepted.
  • You have the following option remaining for returning your votes:

 

Meet the Candidates

  • Click here to view our Elections 2021 Booklet, which has been delivered to all households in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s. The Elections 2021 Booklet features information on how to vote, where to vote, and bios for each of the nominated candidates.

 

Candidates for 2021:

In person and mail in ballot options are available for all residents (proxy certificates are permitted).

Voting Information (Vote by Mail or In-Person):

Our election will look very similar this year to the ones you have participated in before. There will be polling stations throughout the community and you will be able to vote in person on September 28th, 2021 or at an advanced poll. However, in order to mitigate any potential issues regarding COVID-19, the Town will be introducing a Vote by Mail option this year. Any resident will be able to request that a Vote by Mail Kit be sent to them in the weeks leading up to the election. Residents can choose to mail back in their ballot prior to Election Day, they may also drop it off at the Town Hall the week prior to September 28th, 2021.

How do you get a Vote by Mail Kit?

Your return envelope from your Vote by Mail kit must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to be accepted.

You have the following option remaining for returning your votes:

How does a Vote by Mail Kit work?

Deadlines

Your return envelope from your Vote by Mail kit must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to be accepted.

You have the following options for returning your votes:

  • Drop in a Canada Post mailbox by September 21, 2021.
  • Secure Drop Box at the Planning entrance of the Town Hall, 1119 Thorburn Road on September 21, 22, 23, 24 & 27.
  • Void your Vote By Mail kit and vote in-person on Election Day (Tuesday, September 28th) (check polling location here)

Election Overview:

The next municipal election in the town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s is Tuesday, September 28, 2021. Casting a ballot for a Mayor and a ballot for six Councillors allows residents to participate in electing officials who will make decisions on their behalf.

  • The Returning Officer is Claudine Murray, the Town Clerk, and is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Municipal Election and is the key contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
  • The Alternate Returning Officer is Tracy Simmons, Accounting Clerk, who will perform the duties of a Returning Officer in the event the Returning Officer cannot perform those duties. Contact: [email protected]

Please note for PCSP elections, both in person and mail in ballot options are available to all residents. PCSP Vote by Mail Regulations (2021) have been approved by the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

The vote for Mayor is held on a separate ballot from the Councillors ballot.  The successful Councillor with the most votes will be automatically nominated for the position of Deputy Mayor. At their first Council meeting, Council will vote for the Deputy Mayor position, if a second nominee is put forth.

Voter Eligibility 

A Canadian citizen who is 18 years of age or older is qualified to vote at an election where he or she has been ordinarily resident for the 30 days immediately before election day in PCSP.

Note: The following rules shall determine the residency of a person:

(a)  a person shall be a resident of the place where he or she lives and sleeps and to which, when absent, he or she intends to return;

(b)  residency is not lost by a person who leaves that residence for temporary purposes only; and

(c)  the place where a person’s family resides shall be his or her residence unless that person commences and continues to live at some other place with the intention of remaining there, in which case, the person shall be considered to be resident in the place in which he or she intends to reside.

(d)  A person shall have only one place of residency.

Voters List and Registration

Search Voter List: Look-up & Registration Portal to determine if you are on the Voters List

If you experience any problems using the registration portal, residents can contact the Returning Officer, Claudine Murray at 895-5652, to confirm they are on the voters list or register. Where the name of a qualified voter does not appear on the list of voters, the Returning Officer shall, upon satisfactory proof being provided to her, correct that error by inserting the name by contacting the Returning Officer, Claudine Murray at 895-5652, [email protected] or at the Town Hall.

On election day, a resident whose name does not appear upon the voters list and is qualified to vote may vote upon taking an oath or affirmation in the required form.

If you register for the PCSP Voters List, please fill out the Voluntary Authorization to Release Info to Update Provincial & Federal Voter Lists form (#MEF-13.1).  This is the only way to permanently remain on the Voters List. You can submit the form by email to [email protected], bring it with you on Election Day, or ask to fill out a form at your polling station.  If not, you’ll have to register again for the PCSP Voters List in 2025.

Polling Locations

Polling stations will be located throughout Portugal Cove – St. Philip’s on September 28th, 2021. The Advanced Poll will take place on September 16th at the Town Hall.

Search for your polling station by street

Helpful Links and Further Information:

For details on municipal elections in Newfoundland and Labrador, please visit the following pages and legislation:

Contact Our Staff

Claudine Murray

Town Clerk

709-895-8000 x223
claudine.murray@pcsp.ca

Tracy Simmons

Director of Finance

709-895-8000 x231
Tracy.Simmons@pcsp.ca

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