Election Resources

2022 Municipal Election Summary Report

Highlights of the 2022 Municipal Election:

• A total of 150 candidates were certified to run for the 38 open races, including Mayor, Councillor, or School Board Trustee. 2 races were acclaimed in the 2022 Municipal Election; Conseil Scolaire Viamonde and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board Trustee Ward 1,2&15.
• 62.5 hours of voting opportunities were made available to electors during advance polls, special advance voting opportunities, and on Election day
• Four days of advance voting were held in each ward. The number of eligible electors voting at advance voting dates increased from 2018. In 2022, 30,893 ballots were cast over the four days of advance voting. This was an 81.17% increase from the 2018 municipal election advance voting numbers, which saw 17,052 ballots cast over 5 days of advance voting.
• Two days of Legacy Special Advance voting were held in designated buildings across the City of Hamilton. 835 voters cast a ballot in the Special Advance Vote.
• A new Ballot on Demand program was piloted in the City’s Post-Secondary Institutions, in the City’s Shelter network, and at the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre. Approximately 325 voters cast a ballot at a Ballot on Demand location.
• Vote by Mail was introduced in 2022, with 3,186 kits requested, and 2,397 kits, or 75.23% returned.
• Overall Voter turnout for 2022 was 35.38%, which represented 143,375 ballots cast out of 405,288 eligible electors. While there was a decrease in the overall voter turnout percentage from the 2018 Municipal Election, the actual number of voters was higher than in 2018 (138,549) and was the highest total number of voters to cast a ballot in a City of Hamilton municipal election since 2000 (148,898).
• 76.15% of all ballots were cast on Election day, as compared to 22.14% in Advance Polls and 1.71% via Vote by Mail.

Download Full Summary Report for the 2022 Municipal Election(PDF, 3.05 MB)

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing publishes guides for candidates, voters and third-party advertisers to provide information about municipal and school board elections. The guides outline rules as described in the Municipal Elections Act and other legislation and regulations.