2026 Municipal Election

Who Can Vote?

In order to be eligible to vote, you must meet the Qualifications of Electors as listed in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s.17(2). 

Eligible voter must be:

• A Canadian Citizen;
• At least 18 years old on election day; and
• Live in Southwest Middlesex, or own or rent property here, or are the spouse of an owner or tenant in Southwest Middlesex

Students 

Students attending school away from home may be eligible to vote in multiple municipalities. If a student’s permanent residence and temporary student home are in different municipalities or a Territory Without Municipal Organization area, they can update or add their “home address” as their permanent family residence and list their student home as an additional property they, or their spouse own or rent.

How Do I Vote?

Eligible voters will be using telephone/internet voting for the 2026 Municipal Election

Am I on the Voters' List?

If you voted in a Provincial or Federal Election, it does not guarantee that you are on the Voters' List for the Municipal Election.

 Elections Ontario manages a single register of electors for both provincial and municipal elections in Ontario. You can check to see if your name is on the voters' list or manage your information through the voter registration service. You can also update or manage your school support through the MPAC school support tool. 

Candidates who file a Nomination Form with the Clerks Office will be updated here. The chart will be updated at the end of each business day, as new nominations are received.

Last updated: May 15, 2026.

• Friday, May 1, 2026: Nomination Period Begins
• Friday, August 21, 2026: Nomination Day is the last day to submit or withdraw a nomination to the Clerk between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
• Monday, August 24, 2026: Nominations to be certified by the Clerk by 4:00 p.m.  
• Monday, October 26, 2026: Election Day

The Municipality of Southwest Middlesex is divided into three wards. 

View the interactive ward map to find your ward. 

Candidate Eligibility

In Ontario municipal elections, candidates are not elected to represent a political party. An eligible candidate is:

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

The following persons are disqualified from being elected to municipal office:

• any person not eligible to vote in a municipality
• any employee of a municipality unless he or she takes an unpaid leave of absence before being nominated and resigns, if elected to the office
• a judge of any court
• a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a Senator, or a member of the House of Commons
• an inmate of a penal or correctional institution under sentence of imprisonment

Candidate Registration Process

Book an appointment

• To submit your nomination, please call 519-287-2015 or email the Clerk's office to make an appointment Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

• The appointment will take at least 30 minutes

• Walk-ins will be accepted, but may have to wait until the Municipal Designated Official is available

At the time of filing, Candidates must:

• submit a completed Nomination Package
• show proof of identity and residency in the municipality (identification showing name and address)
• pay the filing fee of $200 for Mayor and $100 for Councillor

To run as a candidate in the 2026 municipal election, nomination forms must be filed in person at the municipal office, located at 153 McKellar Street, Glencoe, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

Nomination packages are available for pickup during regular business hours. Booking an appointment to submit your nomination papers is strongly recommended to ensure staff availability. The nomination period starts on May 1, 2026 and ends on August 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. 

To file a nomination, the Nomination Paper (Form 1) must be accompanied by an Endorsement of Nomination (Form 2), signed by 25 individuals who are Canadian citizens, aged 18 or older and have a qualifying address in the municipality. It is recommended that each candidate exceed 25 signatures to ensure that all meet the necessary requirements.

When filing your nomination, you will need:

• Printed copies of the required forms (e-mail, mail-in, or facsimile transmissions are not permitted)
• Government issued photo ID 
• If the qualifying address does not appear on the photo ID, a lease or bill with the persons name on it to confirm the qualifying address
• Filing Fee paid in the form of cash, debit, or cheque made payable to the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex
  • Filing Fee for Mayor: $200
  • Filing Fee for Deputy Mayor and Councillor: $100 

Candidates may begin campaigning as soon as their nomination papers have been filed.

Candidates can withdraw their nomination by filing an official withdrawal of Nomination Form and submitting it in-person to the Clerk before 2:00 p.m. Friday August 21, 2026.

Additional Provincial forms for the 2026 Municipal Election are provided below for your reference and use. 

Registrations can be accepted by the Clerk, or designate, between the first day for filing nominations, Friday, May 1, 2026 and the last Friday before Election Day,  Friday, October 23, 2026. You or an agent must file this form in-person by appointment with the Clerk. You must provide proof of identity, and if you are representing a corporation or trade union you may require a resolution authorizing you to act on their behalf. The Clerk will review these requirements when you book your appointment.

What is Third Party-Advertising?

A third-party advertisement refers to an advertisement in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium that promotes, supports or opposes a candidate in the election, or a "yes" or "no" answer to a question on the ballot.

Ontario residents, corporations and trade unions that will incur expenses for such advertisements must register as a third-party advertiser with the Clerk before they can begin advertising during a municipal election.

What isn't Third Party-Advertising?

• Advertisements by or under the direction of a candidate
• Issues-based advertising during the election period (with the exception of advertising that has the purpose of promoting, supporting or opposing a “yes” or “no” answer to a question on the ballot)
• Advertising that does not cost money to post or broadcast, such as comments made on social media
• Messages distributed by:
  • an individual to their employees
  • a corporation to its shareholders, directors, members or employees
  • a trade union to its members or employee

Who can register as a Third-Party Advertiser?

Only the following persons and entities are eligible to file a notice of registration:

• An individual who is normally a resident in Ontario.
• A corporation that carries on business in Ontario.
• A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario.

Who cannot register as a Third Party Advertiser:

Persons and entities that are not eligible to file a notice of registration include:

• A candidate whose nomination has been filed under Section 33 of the Municipal Elections Act.
• A federal political party registered under the Canada Elections Act (Canada) or any federal constituency association or registered candidate at a federal election endorsed by that party.
• A provincial political party, constituency association, registered candidate or leadership contestant registered under the Election Finances Act.
• The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or local board.

Involvement of a candidate in Third Party Advertising

Third party advertising must be done independently of candidates, who are not able to direct a third party advertiser. If a candidate wishes to purchase or direct their own election campaign advertising, they must follow rules under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996  and identify themselves on their advertisements.

Advertising Requirements

Third party advertisements must contain the following information:

1. Name of the registered third party advertiser
2. Municipality where the third party advertiser is registered
3. Telephone number, mailing address, or email address at which the registered third party advertiser may be contacted regarding the advertisement

If you believe that a Third-Party Advertiser has contravened the Municipal Elections Act, please contact the Clerk.

For more details about Third Party Advertisers, view the Province of Ontario's 2026 third-party advertisers' guide

Forms for Third Party Advertisers 

Use the following forms from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing:

• Form 7 - Notice of Registration - Third Party
• Form 8 - Financial Statement - Auditor's Report Third Party

Procedures

2026 Municipal Election Procedures 

Notices

Notice of Nomination for Office

Municipal By-laws and Policies

Social Media Policy

Council/ Committee/ Board Members
Members of Council are welcomed and encouraged to participate in social media, through their own accounts, while respecting the Conduct of Members of Council, as outlined in the Council Code of Conduct Policy. Members of Council are encouraged to follow the official Municipal sites and to share content.
During nomination period of a municipal election, candidates, or people acting on their behalf, are not permitted to post on Southwest Middlesex social media sites or use Southwest Middlesex resources for campaigning. Any violations of the Conduct of Members of Council, as outlined in the Council Code of Conduct Policy, will be dealt with according to the resolution process outlined in the Code.

2021/061 - Sign By-Law 

10.0 Election Signs

10.1 In addition to the requirements contained in Section 3, the requirements of this section shall apply to election signs.

10.2 No person shall affix, erect or otherwise display an election sign or permit an election sign to be erected, affixed, or otherwise displayed prior to the issuance of writs for a provincial or federal election, or until a candidate, as the case may be, has filed all required documents and paid the required fee in support of their candidacy for municipal office.

10.3 An election sign shall not display a logo, crest, seal or other identification of the Municipality. 

10.4 An election sign shall no exceed a height of one (1.0) metres above grade if erected in a sight triangle.

10.5 An election sign shall be removed within forty-eight (48) hours immediately following the day of the election.

Legislation

Municipal Elections Act, 1996

Ontario Regulation 303/13 under the Municipal Elections Act

Ontario Regulation 101/97 under the Municipal Elections Act

Municipal Act, 2001

Candidate Resources

Middlesex County Joint Campaign Information Session 

Don’t miss these free learning opportunities and resources from Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)

Lead Where You Live: A guide to running for municipal council

Provincial Municipal Candidates' Guide

AMO’s Healthy Democracy Leaders Online Workshop Series: Stronger Leaders, Stronger Communities

AMO is offering a series of workshops specifically for young people thinking about running for municipal office in the October 2026 election.