Political analysts sometimes say that byelections happen in a vacuum. No one else in the city is voting. There's no flurry of partisan TV ads or intense media coverage.

But the results of the Ward 7 byelection on Monday matter. To everyone.

After Monday, one of 22 candidates will represent the city's most populous ward — 62,179 people in 2011. That's 10,000 more than the population of North Bay.

That person will also be one vote on a 16-member council, and on some issues, a deciding vote. And given how often incumbents are reelected, the person could be there a while.

Here are five reasons why the winner matters:

1. Transit

City council has some big transit decisions ahead, and the new Ward 7 councillor's attitude toward transit will matter. A lot.

That person will hold one-sixteenth of the voting weight regarding the $1-billion light-rail transit (LRT) line, which is due in 2024. Construction will start in 2019, and all at once or piece by piece, close a main Hamilton artery — namely, King Street from McMaster University to the Queenston traffic circle.

Metrolinx is leading the project, but the city will make decisions too. Council may have to vote on critical decisions about major streets, such as whether Main Street remains one way. If the next councillor wins again in 2018, that person may vote on what to do with pricey aging infrastructure unearthed by construction crews. And the next councillor may make decisions about how to handle a five-year construction period that could make or break some businesses.

But it's a philosophical matter too. Councillors, and some vocal Hamiltonians, are increasingly focused on complete streets. That means more bicycle lanes, more walkable streets, and policies coaxing people out of their cars. Council is often divided on these issues. The next councillor's perspective will sway votes.

For Ward 7, transit is a local issue too. Mountain councillors and residents often lament the transit service there. The next Ward 7 councillor will have to fight hard for money to improve it. People's mobility – and jobs – depend on it.

2. Affordable housing

Affordable housing is often defined as housing that costs no more than 30 per cent of a person's income. And many Hamilton residents can't find that.

This person will likely be charged with deciding whether to advocate for affordable housing in Ward 7. The city is doing an inventory of its land, looking at what properties it can offer up for affordable housing.

The new councillor will also vote for where affordable housing goes elsewhere in the city. That includes in the west harbour, where CityHousing Hamilton is debating selling two large social housing properties to build more than 400 new units in the Barton/Tiffany area.

3. U.S. Steel

Every city councillor has spoken up for steelworkers and pensioners. They're all dismayed that U.S. Steel Canada is in bankruptcy protection, and has temporarily halted paying health care benefits to retirees.

But few understood the file as well as Scott Duvall, the former Ward 7 councillor who became a Hamilton Mountain MP in the fall and triggered the $100,000 byelection.

Duvall is a former steelworker and union president. He also chaired the city's steel committee, which hasn't met for more than a year.

The committee, admittedly, doesn't have a lot of sway. But it's another political voice for pensioners, who account for one in every 72 Hamiltonians. Collectively, steel pensioners pay $24 million in property tax.

Duvall was a powerful advocate. Will his successor be, too?

4. Sidewalks

Duvall often lamented how areas of his ward lacked sidewalks and accessible bus stops. Hamilton has an annual infrastructure deficit of about $200 million. His successor will have to fight for a piece of a very scant pie.

5. Ward boundaries

The words "ward boundary review" don't exactly conjure sex and intrigue. But put plainly, this issue determines how many constituents one councillor serves. That means how many phone calls that person has to return and how many kilometres that person minds. The review could impact several Hamilton wards.

City council put off reviewing ward boundaries for years. Now it's getting public input. The matter will come back to council, and the new Ward 7 councillor.

Who are the candidates?

Here's a list of the Ward 7 candidates:

​How to vote on Monday

Election day is March 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check online to find out where and when to vote or call 905-546-4365.

The city has more information for voters on its website.