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ARICHAT - With the October 17 municipal election voting deadline fast arriving in Nova Scotia, a wide majority of the candidates running in Richmond County's five municipal districts took part in a service that has been offered by Telile Community Television for several years. 

The Arichat-based station invited all thirteen 2020 candidates to participate in "Meet The Candidates" segments in which each candidate would have a maximum of ten minutes in which to state their cases as to why Richmond County voters should consider them as suitable council candidates. Ten of the thirteen candidates took Telile up on this offer, while only three - Richmond Warden and District 3 incumbent Brian Marchand, District 4 incumbent Gilbert Boucher, and rookie District 5 candidate Brent Sampson - did not participate in the "Meet The Candidates" program.

For the first time in over a decade, every municipal district in Richmond County will have a contested race. The candidates appearing on the ballot this time around include incumbent James Goyetche, former councilor Rod Samson, and first-time candidates Brandon Boudreau and Shawn Samson in District 1; former councilor Gerry Bourque and newcomers Carolyn Clackdoyle and Michael Diggdon in District 2; Marchand and political rookie Melanie Sampson in District 3; Boucher and first-time candidate Amanda Mombourquette in District 4; and Sampson and incumbent councilor Jason MacLean in District 5. 

Unlike such neighbouring municipalities as the Town of Port Hawkesbury and the Municipality of the County of Inverness, Richmond County voters will not have the options or voting online or by phone in this municipal election, and will only be able to cast paper ballots in the advance polls and on the formal election day of October 17.