2026 Municipal Election

Nomination Period Begins on Friday, May 1st at 9:00 AM up to and including Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM.  

Are You Eligible to Run for and Hold Office?

You may run for a Council position if you are eligible to vote in the election and fulfill all of the following requirements below:

Mayor and Council:

• You are a resident of the municipality, a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such non-resident owner or tenant;
• You are a Canadian citizen;
• You are least 18 years old;
• You are not legally prohibited from voting, and; 
• You are not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

It is the responsibility of the Candidate to determine whether or not they are eligible to run for and hold Municipal or School Board office.

If you are satisfied that you meet the prescribed requirements, as set out in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and wish to campaign for office you must first file, by appointment, with the Clerk’s Office, located at the Town Hall, 30 King Street East, Gananoque, ON, during the Nomination Period (beginning Tuesday, May 1, 2026, (Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM) up to and including August 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM.

The following documents are required to file:

1. Form 1 – Nomination Paper
2. Form 2 - Endorsement of Nominations
3. Identification showing your name and address (i.e. Ontario Driver’s Licence, Ontario Health Card (photo card), Property Tax Assessment etc.), and;
4. Nomination Fee:  $200 for Mayor and $100 for Councillor.

**Hard copies are available at the Town Hall Front Reception. 

Accepted forms of Payment are:

• Debit
• Certified Cheque or Money Order, made payable to the Town of Gananoque.

The nomination filing fee is refunded when a candidate submits their Financial Statement (and Auditor's Report, if applicable) in March 2027.

A candidate cannot raise or spend any money on their campaign until the Nomination Paper has been filed.

Bank Account

Candidates must open a bank account exclusively for their campaign if accepting any contributions of money (including contributions from yourself or your spouse) or incur any expenses. Candidates do not have to open a campaign bank account if they do not spend any money and do not receive any contributions of money. If receiving contributions of goods or services, but no contributions of money, you do not have to open a campaign bank account.

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) - Candidates Guide

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) - Voters Guide

Ontario Municipal Councillor’s Guide

Municipal Elections Act, 1996

Education Act, 1990

Municipal Act, 2001

2026 Municipal Election - Telephone & Internet Voting Policy and Procedure

2026 Municipal Election Accessibility Plan

As of January 1, 2024, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for local elections. MPAC is legislatively required to collect school support information.

You can update your school support designation through MPAC’s Online School Support Tool.

As a property owner in Ontario, you are required to support a school system, even if you do not have children or your children are not currently attending school. This information can be found on your Property Assessment Notice.

Learn more about school support by visiting MPAC.

Elections Ontario is responsible for maintaining the Permanent Register of Electors for Ontario, also known as the Voters’ List. The Voters’ List is a list of individuals eligible to vote in provincial and local municipal elections in Ontario.

You can use Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration application to confirm, update or add your information if you:

• have changed your name or address
• own or rent a new property
• no longer own or rent a property
• want to remove your information

If you or your spouse own or rent property other than your home address in Ontario, you may be eligible to vote in more than one municipal election.

Visit Elections Ontario’s website to learn more about voter information, and other options including:

• removing yourself from the Register
• removing a deceased person from the Register
• adding yourself to the list of Future Voters (if you’re under 18 years of age)

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

Joint Compliance Audit Committee Application Form