Municipal and School Board Elections

Voters across Ontario elect municipal mayors, councillors, and school board trustees every four years. Elections occur every four years on the fourth Monday of October. The current term started in 2022 and ends in 2026.

The next municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026.

Nominations

The nomination period runs from Friday, May 1, 2026, to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
To be eligible to submit your nomination to run for a position on council you must be a Canadian Citizen, aged 18 or older, and qualify as a resident or non-resident elector.
To file your nomination, you must submit a Nomination Paper – Form 1 and the nomination filing fee to your municipal clerk. If the municipality has more than 4,000 electors, you must also submit original endorsement signatures from 25 eligible voters from the municipality.

The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville does not run municipal elections.

Counties Council is an indirectly elected body comprised of the 10 mayors of the lower-tier municipalities. The Council of a lower-tier municipality may pass a by-law to appoint an alternate member to represent the Mayor as a member of Counties Council as long as certain conditions are met. The position of Warden, as Head of Counties Council, is elected by the members of Counties Council every two years.

Role of Counties Council

Much like the role of lower-tier councils, Counties Council is responsible for:

representing the public and considering the well-being and interests of Counties residents;
developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the Counties;
determining which services the Counties will provide;
ensuring administrative and controllership policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of Council;
ensuring the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality, including the activities of the senior management of the municipality;
maintaining the financial integrity of the Counties; and
carrying out the duties of council under the Municipal Act or any other Act.

Information Specific to Elections in Your Community

For information specific to the elections in your municipality, please visit the lower-tier municipal websites or contact your municipal clerk.

For information specific to our partner municipalities, please visit the municipal websites below.

Information for Candidates

Are you interested in running for council in your municipality? Please see below for resources which may be helpful to you.

Ontario Municipal Councillor’s Guide
Ontario Municipal Elections Website
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Guides
An updated guide for the 2026 election is expected in April 2026
Federation of Canadian Municipalities - Municipal Elections in Canada: A Guide for Women Candidates
2022 United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Candidate’s Guide

Legislation Related to Municipal Elections

Municipal Act, 2001

The Municipal Elections Act

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, provides information on rules and processes for running municipal elections. This includes information on campaign finances, voting procedures, and recount procedures.

Municipal Elections Act, 1996

School Board Elections

Education Act

Information for Voters

Are you registered to vote in the 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections? Make sure you are on the Voter’s List and all of your information is correct by visiting the link below.

For more information about voter eligibility and acceptable documents for voter identification, please read the 2022 Voter’s Guide (An updated guide for the 2026 election is expected in April 2026).

Municipal and School Board Elections

The next municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026.

​​​Legislation Related to Municipal Elections

The Municipal Elections Act

School Board Elections

Legislation Related to Municipal Elections