No 'Sunshine' on Kitchener candidate list as middle names not on ballot

Regan Sunshine Bruss says she's at a disadvantage in the upcoming municipal election because she's been told her full name will not appear on the ballot.

Her middle name, Sunshine, will be dropped. She's been told by Kitchener's clerk no one's middle name will appear on the ballot for the Oct. 22 vote.

Bruss says she was told before nominations closed in the summer there was a chance she might not be allowed to have her full name on the ballot.

"I repeatedly said, 'Well, I would like it listed as my full name,'" she told CBC K-W. She never heard anything to the contrary, so she bought campaign signs and prepared materials that highlighted her middle name.

Earlier this week while attending an event at Kitchener city hall, she saw a list of candidates and noticed her middle name was not listed.

That's when she says she found out "Sunshine" will not be on the ballot, even though it does appear on the city's website where candidates are listed. She saysshe received a letter from the clerk on Friday explaining the decision.

"I can understand if it was just a tag I applied to myself. That would be different. But this is my legal birth name," she said.

No middle names

Christine Tarling, director of legislated services and city clerk for Kitchener, declined to be interviewedbut sent a statement to CBC K-W about the decision not to include Bruss's middle name.

"Our practice has always been to include only the first and last name of the candidates on our ballots to ensure they are listed clearly, legibly and without bias," Tarling wrote. "We have not had any concerns or questions in the past related to this approach and have always acted in accordance with the MEA (Municipal Elections Act)."

TheMunicipal Elections Act states in section 41: "If the candidate wishes and the clerk agrees, another name that the candidate also uses may appear on the ballot instead of or in addition to his or her legal name."

The paper ballots went out to be printed on Aug. 1 and the city received them Sept. 12. It's not possible to reprint them"as it would require staff to expedite procedures put in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process," Tarling said.

"With my primary focus being conducting a fair and transparent election, we have decided to move forward with the ballots as they have been printed. We have notified the candidate of our decision," Tarling said.

'I'm not backing down'

Tarling says in her role to ensure a fair and equitable election, she is "unable to consider any candidate's campaign strategy."

Bruss is running in Ward 2 against Suresh Arangath, Dave Schnider and Fitzroy Vanderpool. Bruss says she wanted a way to stand out from her opponents. She has signs that highlight Sunshine. She has even talked to residents and told them to look for Sunshine on the ballot.

But Bruss says this isn't a strategy, it's her name. She wants to see things changed.

"I'm not backing down. I have the right to be who I am. I have the right to represent myself as I am and if nothing else, I have the right to have had a clear decision on this matter much earlier in this campaign," she said.