Don’t look now, but your doorbell is about to get a minor workout over the next few weeks. That’s because the unofficial start of the municipal election has already begun.

For those of you who missed civics class in high school, the municipal election is the one in which you elect the mayor, your local city council and your school board trustee.

Historically, municipal elections have an extremely low voter turnout at under 50 per cent. In the 2022 municipal election, less than 44 per cent of eligible voters bothered to drag themselves to their local polling station and cast a ballot.

By comparison, 76.9 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in last year’s federal election and provincial elections traditionally see a 60 per cent turnout.

The fact that so few people vote in the municipal election has always puzzled me, particularly when you consider that it’s the one level of government that affects our day-to-day lives the most.

The mayor and city councillors make decisions on your garbage collection and disposal, including landfill sites. They are responsible for the state of our roads, public transit, recreation facilities and services, municipal bylaws, and emergency services including policing.

Last, but by no means least, they are also responsible for how much you pay in property taxes every year. So it is a fairly important job and the municipal election deserves attention, unless, of course, you live in an a ward in which no one has come forward to challenge the incumbent.

That is currently the case in Orléans West-Innes ward where two-term incumbent Laura Dudas is so far running unopposed although would-be candidates still have until 2 p.m. on Aug. 21 to file their nomination papers.

But I digress. I should first explain which neighbourhoods are in the four east end wards.

Orléans West-Innes Ward includes Black-burn Hamlet, Chapel Hill North, Chateauneuf, Convent Glen, Orleans Wood and Orléans Village.

Orléans East-Cumberland includes Chate-laine Village, Queenswood Heights, Falling-brook, Cardinal Creek Village, Cardinal Creek and the former municipality of Cumberland north of Wilhaven Drive.

Orléans South-Navan includes Chapel Hill South, Bradley Estates, Eastboro, Avalon. Notting Hill and the former municipality of Cumberland south of Wilhaven Drive including the Village of Navan.

While no one has so far stepped forward to challenge Laura Dudas in Orléans West-Innes ward, one candidate has registered to run against incumbent Catherine Kitts in Orléans South-Navan. La Ha Tacos food truck owner Jay Wing registered to run in the election on June 17.

Meanwhile in Orléans East-Cumberland, a total of six people have so far stepped forward to challenge incumbent Matt Luloff. And while a number of the challengers have been unofficially campaigning for months, the real race didn’t really start until Canada Day with door-to-door canvassing by the candidates and their volunteers and flyer drops.

The biggest reason why most campaigns get off to an early start, or at least they should if they want to be a serious challenger, is the amount of daylight there is during July and August. Take it from someone who ran for city council not once, but twice. Anyone who waits until Labour Day to start their door-to-door campaign will run into the back to school period when the last thing any parent wants to do is talk to wanna-be politician.

That leaves the second week of September as the next likely time to start a fall campaign until you run into the first day of fall when the daylight hours start shrinking faster than a wool sweater in hot clothes dryer.

By the end of September it starts to get dark by 5:30 or six o’clock, and trust me, no one is going to answer the door after dark. In July and August it doesn’t get dark until 9-9:30, which gives you an extra four hours to go door-to-door.

So prepare yourselves to for a steady stream of candidates, especially if you live in Orléans East-Cumberland. And be ready to ask them questions. It will probably be the one and only time you’ll get the chance.

(If you wish to comment on this or any other View Point column please write to Fred Sherwin at fsherwin@orleansstar.ca)