TORONTO — Toronto-Danforth Coun. Case Ootes has put forward a motion to allow candidates for city council to put up signs one day early in order to avoid a conflict with the holidays of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, as well as Shabbat.

Case Ootes

The motion, seconded by York Centre Coun. Mike Feldman, would allow candidates in the Oct. 25 election to put up signs starting on Sept. 29 at midnight, as opposed to Thursday, Sept. 30, the date of Shmini Atzeret.

Simchat Torah falls the next day, on Oct. 1, and is followed by Shabbat, which would put observant Jewish candidates and volunteers at a disadvantage, because they couldn’t put up signs until after Shabbat on Oct. 2.

Some candidates have suggested voluntarily postponing putting up signs until Oct. 3, but Ootes’ motion would create a city-wide change. The issue was on the agenda for the final meeting of the current council, scheduled for Aug. 25 and 26.