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?

The Province of Ontario has released the 2026 Candidates' Guide - Ontario municipal council and school board elections to provide information on how to run as a candidate in Ontario municipal council and school board elections.

Ontario Municipal Elections Website

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario produces Lead Where You Live 2026: A Guide to running for municipal council.

Federation of Canadian Municipalities - Municipal Elections in Canada: A Guide for Women Candidates

Role of Municipal Council: Resources

The Province of Ontario publishes a Municipal Councillor's Guide that provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of an elected member of council.

2026 United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Candidate’s Guide

Relevant Legislation

Municipal Act, 2001

Municipal Elections Act, 1996

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 2026 Voter’s Guide.

Joint Compliance Audit Committee

If an eligible elector believes, on reasonable grounds, a candidate or registered third party has contravened the rules of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (the Act) relating to election campaign finances, he or she can request a compliance audit of the candidate's or registered third party's finances.

APPOINTMENTS
TO THE LEEDS AND GRENVILLE MUNICIPAL ELECTION
JOINT COMPLIANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The municipalities of Athens, Augusta, Brockville, Edwardsburgh Cardinal, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Front of Yonge, Gananoque, Leeds & the Thousand Islands, Merrickville-Wolford, North Grenville, Prescott, Rideau Lakes and Westport are recruiting experienced professionals for appointment to the Leeds and Grenville Municipal Election Joint Compliance Audit Committee.

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, as amended (MEA), requires municipalities to establish a Compliance Audit Committee to consider applications requesting audits of election campaign finances. The Committee may be required to appoint auditors and determine if legal proceedings are required as a result of the auditors’ reports.

Applicants with a background in law, election administration, public administration, auditing and accounting, professionals who are required to adhere to codes of standards of their profession and those with in-depth knowledge of the campaign financing rules are preferred.

Applicants should have:

Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of municipal elections, including campaign financing rules;
Proven analytical and decision-making skills;
Experience working on committees, task forces or similar settings;
Availability and willingness to attend meetings during daytime and evening hours over a four-year term, as required; and
Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Pursuant to subsection 88.37 (2) of the MEA, applicants cannot be candidates or registered third party advertisers in the 2026 Municipal Election, or any by-election during the 2026-2030 Council term, nor can they have committed to providing professional advice to any person running for office in any of the participating municipalities. Municipal employees and members of Council are also ineligible.

The Committee’s term of office is four years, beginning in November 2026. Successful applicants, in good standing, will receive a $100 retainer annually, for four (4) years, and may receive additional compensation depending on compensation by-laws of the local municipalities.

Applicants may be required to participate in an interview process.

For further information or to obtain an application form please visit the participating municipal websites or contact the Clerk of any of the participating municipalities, or the Clerk of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

Deadline to apply is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 5, 2026

Download the Application for the Joint Compliance Audit Committee