Voting Systems (At Large or Wards)

Municipalities can, by bylaw, divide the municipality into electoral wards (Section 38(1)(a), MGA). If no wards are established, the entire municipality is considered one ward and the councillors are elected at large (Section 39(3), MGA). A ward may consist of one or more defined areas, and they do not need to be connected (Section 39(1), MGA).

At Large

In an at-large system, all voters across the entire municipality vote for all council members.

How it works: If a municipality has 6 council seats, every eligible voter in the municipality can vote for up to 6 candidates. Candidates with the most votes across the entire municipality are elected. The Mayor is always elected at large.

Wards

In a ward system, the municipality is divided into geographic areas called wards, and each ward elects its own councillors.

How it works: If a municipality has 6 wards, each ward could elect one (or more) councillor who represents that specific area. The mayor is always elected at large. Electors must be considered a resident in the ward to vote for a candidate in that ward.

Candidates do not need to live in the ward in which they are running, but they must be a resident of the municipality and must be nominated by electors who are residents in that ward (Section 26(5), Municipal Election Regulations).

The number of electors in each ward must be comparable and must be within 10% above or below the average number of electors in each ward (section 39, MGA). Each ward requires a polling division. 

The following list of municipalities have wards:

City of Charlottetown, City of Summerside, Town of Stratford, Town of Three Rivers, Rural Municipality of Bedeque and Area, Rural Municipality of North Shore, and Rural Municipality of West River