Some New Brunswickers will be heading to the polls again in just a few short weeks.
Nominations open Monday for the upcoming local government byelections on Dec. 9.
There are 16 vacancies to be filled, including two council seats that became vacant after the recent provincial election.
“Following a provincial general election, it’s not unusual for the number of vacancies we’re looking to fill to be a little bit higher,” Kim Poffenroth, the province’s chief electoral officer, told our newsroom.
“Often people who have been involved in their local governments go ahead and decide to run and are successful in the provincial general election.”
Saint John Ward 3 councillor David Hickey was elected to represent Saint John Harbour while Hautes-Terres councillor Luc Robichaud was elected in Hautes-Terres-Nepisiguit.
Poffenroth encouraged eligible residents who are interested in having a greater voice in their community to consider putting their names forward.
“It really is a really good way to get involved and give back at a very grassroots level and to impact the day-to-day lives of your friends, your families, your neighbours,” she said.
Elections for each of the 16 vacancies will only be held if more than one person is running for the role.
Poffenroth said it is not unusual for some vacancies to go unfilled because no one puts their name forward.
“We have in some cases vacancies that we’ve held a number of byelections and still no one has put their name forward, so those vacancies continue year after year,” she said.
A prime example is on Campobello Island, where this will be the third byelection since July 2023 to try and fill a vacant council seat in Ward 2.
The nomination deadline is at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15. Poffenroth encouraged candidates to get papers in early in case anything needs to be corrected.
Other vacancies that need to be filled are:
- Beausoleil: mayor
- Belledune: one councillor-at-large
- Champdoré: one councillor (Ward 3)
- Doaktown: one councillor-at-large
- Hanwell: one councillor (Ward 5)
- Fundy-St. Martins: one councillor (Ward 1)
- Lakeland Ridges: one councillor (Ward 4)
- Riverview: one councillor (Ward 1)
- Shediac: one councillor (Ward 3)
- Strait Shores: one councillor-at-large
- Sunbury-York South: one councillor (Ward 2)
- Tracy: one councillor-at-large
- Valley Waters: one councillor (Ward 4)
