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Elections 2026

Municipal elections in Ontario are held every four years. The next municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026. The length of term for all municipal elected officials is four years. The current term started in 2022 and ends in 2026. 

You can learn more about how municipal elections work by visiting the Association of Municipalities in Ontario (AMO) information page.

The Clerk's Office would be pleased to assist you with any questions you may have in regard to the Municipal Election. For any questions, concerns or further information, please contact Nigel Black CAO/Clerk at 705-389-2466 ex. 123 or by email at nigel.black@whitestone.ca

Register to Vote

There’s been a recent change in how the Voters’ List is handled in Ontario. Elections Ontario is now responsible for maintaining and providing the data for municipal and school board elections—a job that used to belong to MPAC. This will be Whitestone’s first municipal election using the new system.

Because of the switch, it’s a good idea to take a moment to check your information with Elections Ontario. Whether you’ve been on a Voters’ List before—municipal or provincial—it’s still important to make sure your details are up to date in their database so you’re included for the 2026 Whitestone Municipal Election.

Click here to register on the Elections Ontario Portal. You will need one piece of ID that has both your name and Ontario home address. Don't wait until it's too late - register now!

School Support

Although MPAC no longer collects voter information for municipal elections, it is still responsible for gathering school support information.

Property owners in Ontario must designate support for a school system, even if they do not have children or if their children do not currently attend school. This designation appears on your Property Assessment Notice.  To learn more about school support, and/or to update your school support by June 1, 2026, visit the MPAC website.

Running for Municipal Council

Several organizations are now offering guides, workshops, and seminars to help anyone interested in getting involved in local democracy and considering a role on municipal council.

The West Parry Sound Municipalities - the Archipelago, Carling, McDougall, McKellar, Parry Sound, Seguin, and Whitestone - are hosting a FREE Candidate Information Session on Thursday, April 9th, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

In this session, a representative from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs will provide helpful information on:

  • Roles and Responsibilities of elected officials, staff and third party advertisers
  • Eligibility rules
  • Nomination process
  • Campaign finances
  • Compliance audit
  • Voters' list
  • Scrutineers
  • Recounts
  • Resources

This session will benefit both newcomers and experienced candidates to the municipal election process. If you're interested, please register by completing the registration form. To receive a paper copy of the registration form, please contact kbritton@mckellar.ca or (705) 389-2842 x 4.

This information session is open to all West Parry Sound Municipal candidates, potential candidates and the general public.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has published Lead Where You Live: A guide to running for Municipal Council, which provides key information for anyone running in the 2026 municipal election. This guide will introduce you to some of the key steps in that process. It will also give you a sense of what life is like as an elected member of a municipal council.

AMO is also offering a free workshop series called Healthy Democracy Leadership Series: Supporting Local Leadership. 

  • Stream 1 is designed for elected officials at the municipal level across Ontario who are considering re-election in 2026 and preparing their path forward.
  • Stream 2 focuses on community members who are curious about running for municipal office in 2026—people stepping into their first campaign and local leaders who want to explore whether serving in elected office is a good match for them.

Click here to register for either stream.

Women interested in running for Council are encouraged to register for the electHER Now 2026 Online Campaign School, running Tuesdays in April from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. electHER Now is a non-partisan group of volunteers committed to gender balance of elected officials in municipal government. While the organization is out of the Grey Bruce region, the Campaign School is open to women from all areas across Ontario. Click here to sign up!