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You are not electing a prime minister
On Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18, Hamilton’s last advance polls are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ballot asks for three kinds of names: mayor, one councillor for your ward, and school board trustees. It does not elect a prime minister, set criminal law, or run a hospital. If you already voted, you do not vote again. If you have not, read the offices before you read a feed.
Mayor
Hamilton’s mayor chairs council, represents the city, and — under Ontario’s strong-mayor framework since July 2023 — holds expanded executive tools. Council as a whole still approves the budget and bylaws. The mayor does not unilaterally control schools, hospitals, or federal immigration. Read the certified mayoral list on hamilton.ca. Kingdom Civics does not endorse a name.
Your ward councillor
Hamilton has 15 wards and one councillor for each. That councillor votes with the rest of council on bylaws, the budget, planning, and committee recommendations. A ward office is local. It is not a back door into provincial health policy. Confirm your ward with the City’s Find my Ward tool, then read only the certified candidates for that ward.
A trustee — if you are eligible
The boards on this ballot are the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. Trustees help set local policy, budgets, and direction. They do not write the entire education statute. Which trustee ballot you may mark is set by the City, not by a church bulletin or a guess about where your children attend. Confirm eligibility on hamilton.ca before you mark a name.
Discuss together
- How does “You are not electing a prime minister” apply where God has placed you?
- How does “Mayor” apply where God has placed you?
- How does “Your ward councillor” apply where God has placed you?
- What would it look like to pray 1 Timothy 2:1–2 for a named office this week?