Port Colborne Votes - Municipal Elections 2026

For Voters - 2026 Election Information

2026 Voters' Guide Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections

2026 Opportunities to Vote 

• By Mail
  
  • Vote-by-Mail applications will be available in September 2026
• In-person on Advanced Voting Days
  • Friday, October 2nd 2026
  • Saturday, October 3rd 2026
  • Wednesday, October 14th 2026
• In-person on Election Day
  • Monday, October 26th 2026

 Are you Eligible to Vote?

You are eligible to vote in the election for municipal council if:

• you are a Canadian citizen;
• you are aged 18 or older; and
• you qualify to vote in the municipality

There are three ways that you can qualify to vote in a municipality:

1. As a resident elector if you live in the municipality. You may own, rent, live in shared accommodation where you do not pay rent or live in the municipality but do not have a fixed address. Being a resident elector is the most common type of eligibility.
2. As a non-resident elector if you own or rent property in a municipality, but it’s not the one where you live. You can be a resident elector in only one municipality. However, you can be a non-resident elector in any other municipality (or municipalities) where you own or rent property.
3. As the spouse of a non-resident elector if your spouse owns or rents property in the municipality or municipalities other than the one where you live.  

Offices to be Elected

Port Colborne Voters will elect the following offices:

• Mayor and, by virtue of office, Regional Councillor
  • One (1) position elected at large
• City Councillor, Ward 1
  • Two (2) positions
• City Councillor, Ward 2
  • Two (2) positions
• City Councillor, Ward 3
  • Two (2) positions
• City Councillor, Ward 4
  • Two (2) positions
• English Public School Trustee for the District School Board of Niagara
  • One (1) position elected at large
• English Separate School Trustee for the Niagara Catholic District School Board
  • One (1) position elected at large
• French Public School Trustee for the District School board of Niagara
  • One (1) position elected at large
• French Separate School Trustee for the Niagara Catholic District School
  • One (1) position elected at large

For Candidates - 2026 Key Election Dates

May 1, 2026

• Candidate Nomination Period opens. Nomination forms may be filed during regular business hours in the Office of the City Clerk, located at 66 Charlotte Street.

• A person cannot raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have filed the nomination paperwork.

August 21, 2026 - 2:00 p.m.

• Candidate Nomination Period closes.
• Those interested in running as a candidate have until 2:00 p.m. to file their nomination papers, withdraw a nomination, or change office.

August 24, 2026

• Certification of Nomination Forms and Acclamations. The City Clerk will certify nomination forms prior to 4:00 p.m.
• If there are positions declared elected by acclamation (e.g. no other candidates running for the same position), a list will be posted by the City after 4:00 p.m.

September 2026

• The Preliminary List of Electors is made available to candidates.
• Vote-by-Mail applications become available.

October 2026

• Electors vote in-person on the following dates:
  
  • Advanced Voting 
    • October 2nd
    • October 3rd
    • October 14th
  • Election Day Voting
    • October 26th
• During the week of October 26th, 2026 Official Election results are declared by the City Clerk as soon as possible after voting day.

November 15, 2026

• New Council terms begins.

November 17, 2026

• Inaugural meeting of City Council.

Candidate Information

 Who can be a Candidate?

• Candidates must be 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;

• a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old;

• not legally prohibited from voting;

• not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

• Candidates will need 25 signatures of endorsement from eligible voters and must pay a fee of $100 ($200 for mayor) 

Nomination Period

The Candidate Nomination Period will open Friday, May 1, 2026.

The deadline to file a nomination to be a council or school board trustee candidate is Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM.

Nomination packages will be available for pickup at City Hall starting on Wednesday, April 29th, 2026.

How to File a Nomination

You must file in person by appointment only at City Hall, located at 66 Charlotte Street. To book a nomination filing appointment, contact the Election Coordinator by email at election@portcolborne.ca or by phone at (905) 228-8120.

You will need to pay the nomination fee ($200.00 for Mayor, $100.00 for Councillor or School Board Trustee) and provide identification. You are also required to swear an oath at our office. You may complete the following forms in advance of the appointment, available through the MMAH Central Forms Repository:

• Form 1 – Nomination Form
• Form 2 – Endorsement of Nomination

Please ensure that you are downloading and completing the 2026 forms and not the 2022 forms. 

Payment of the nomination fee must be made at City Hall  and can be made by cash, cheque, debit, or credit card.

Withdrawing a Nomination

If you no longer wish to run in the City of Port Colborne Municipal Election, you must file a written withdrawal in-person with the Clerks department before 2:00 PM on Nomination Day (August 21, 2026).

Reasons to Reject a Nomination by the Clerk

The City Clerk must examine each nomination filed. If satisfied that the nomination complies with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the City Clerk shall certify the nomination. If not satisfied, the Clerk shall reject the nomination and give notice to all candidates for that office. The Clerk's decision to reject a nomination is final. 

The Clerk may consider the following criteria in the decision to reject or certify nominations:

• The candidate has refused or declined to provide proof of qualifications or identification suitable to the Clerk.
• The candidate does not meet the eligibility requirements set out under Section 29(1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
• The nomination form is not complete in its entirety, or the filing fee has not been paid.
• The necessary financial statement was not filed for the previous regular election for any new election in which the individual may have been a candidate.

Forms and More Information: 

2026 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) Candidate Guide

Port Colborne Election Sign By-law

MMAH Presentation for Candidates 

MMAH Candidates Information Session Slideshow

Use of Corporate Resources for Election Purposes Policy 

2022 Election Accessibility Plan

View the City of Port Colborne Procedures for the Implementation of the Accessibility Plan for the 2022 Municipal Elections. 

City of Port Colborne 2022 Election Accessibility Plan and Report 

 Niagara Compliance Audit Committee

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 requires each municipality and school board in Ontario to establish a compliance audit committee to consider compliance audit applications.

Information regarding the 2026 Compliance Audit Committee will be updated as it becomes available.

2022 Niagara Compliance Audit Committee

In 2022, Niagara's municipalities and school boards partnered to establish the joint Niagara Compliance Audit Committee. The participants included: 

• Local Area Municipalities: Town of Fort Erie, Town of Grimsby, Town of Lincoln, City of Niagara Falls, Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Town of Pelham, City of Port Colborne, City of St. Catharines, City of Thorold, Township of Wainfleet, City of Welland and Township of West Lincoln
• Region: Regional Municipality of Niagara
• School Boards: District School Board of Niagara and Niagara Catholic District School Board

The Purpose of the Committee was to:

• Consider whether to grant or reject a compliance audit application made by an eligible elector;
• Appoint an auditor if the application is granted;
• Receive and consider the auditor's report and decide whether legal proceedings should be commenced;
• Consider reports from the Clerk identifying contributors who appear to have contravened election contribution limits and decide whether legal proceedings should be commenced.

The powers and functions of the committee are found under Sections 88.33 - 88.37 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.

Compliance Audit Applications

If an elector entitled to vote believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate or registered third party advertiser has contravened any of the campaign finance rules, the elector may apply for a compliance audit and file their Application with the City Clerk.

Application for Compliance Audit 

Eligible Elector

• A Canadian citizen
• At least 18 years of age;
• Resides in the municipality, or is the owner or tenant of land, or the spouse of such owner or tenant

 Third Party Advertisers

Third party advertising refers to advertisements or other materials that support, promote or oppose a candidate, or support, promote or oppose a “yes” or “no” answer to a question on the ballot. The meaning of “third party” in this context means a person or entity who is not a candidate. Third party advertising is separate from any candidate’s campaign, and must be done independently from a candidate. Any advertisements or materials that are made and distributed by a candidate, or under a candidate’s direction, are part of the candidate’s campaign. 

For More Information and Forms: 

2026 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Third Party Advertisers’ Guide

Notice of Registration – Third Party