Elections

We are pleased to assist you with any questions you may have concerning the Municipal Election. For any questions, concerns or further information, please contact election@wasagabeach.com or 705.429.3844 to speak with the Clerk’s Department.

Who Can Vote?
 A person is entitled to vote in a municipal election if, on Voting Day, they:

• Reside in the local municipality, or are the owner or tenant of land in the municipality, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and
• Are a Canadian citizen;
• Are at least 18 years old; and
• Are not prohibited from voting under the Municipal Elections Act or otherwise prohibited by law

Who Cannot Vote

The following cannot vote:

• A person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in penal or correctional institution.
• A corporation.
• A person acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity, except as a voting proxy in accordance with section 44 of the Municipal Elections Act.
• A person who was convicted of the corrupt practice described in subsection 90(3), if Voting Day in the current election is less than five years after Voting Day in the election in respect of which he or she was convicted.

Resident Elector 

A resident elector is a person who lives and is eligible to vote in that municipality’s election.

A person is only allowed to have one residence.

A person’s residence is the permanent lodging place to which, whenever absent, he or she intends to return.

The following rules apply in determining a person’s residence:

1. A person may only have one residence at a time;
2. The place where a person’s family resides is also their residence, unless they moves elsewhere with the intention of changing their permanent lodging place;
3. If a person has no other permanent lodging place, the place where they occupy a room or part of a room as a regular lodger, to which they habitually return, is their residence.

Non-Resident Elector 

If a person lives in one municipality but owns or rents property in another municipality, then they are a non-resident elector and able to vote in that municipality’s election. 

Spouse of Non-Resident Elector

If a person lives in one municipality and qualifies as a spouse of a non-resident elector, then they are able to vote in that municipality’s election.

People Without Housing

Persons without a permanent residence may also qualify to be added to the Voters List during the revision period by submitting an application to the Clerk. If a person has no permanent residence or lodging place, the following rules apply in determining their residence:

1. The place to which the person most frequently returned to sleep or eat during the five weeks preceding the determination is their residence.
2. If the person returns with equal frequency to one place to sleep and another to eat, the place to which they return to sleep is their residence.
3. Multiple returns to the same place during a single day, whether to eat or to sleep, shall be considered one return.
4. A person’s affidavit regarding the places to which they returned to eat or sleep during a given time period is conclusive, in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

MPAC is not required to include a person without housing's name on the Preliminary List of Electors. As persons without housing are entitled to be electors, they are also eligible to be candidates provided they meet the citizenship and age requirements, and are not otherwise prohibited by law.

Students

A person may have residences in two local municipalities at the same time if the person lives in one of the local municipalities in order to attend an education institution but not with the intention of changing their permanent lodging place, and the person’s permanent lodging place is in the other local municipality.

Therefore, students can vote in the municipality where they attend school and they can also vote in the municipality where they live.

Trailer Owners – Campgrounds

Trailer owners in campgrounds are tenants of the campground – therefore, they are potentially eligible electors. Under a timeshare contract, to be eligible, the person must be entitled to use the land on Voting Day, or for a period of six weeks or more during the calendar year in which the election is held.

What to Bring to Vote

Identification is required when you vote. You will need to show ID which contains your name and address. You may have to show two pieces of ID to accomplish this.

Please bring an original, or certified/notarized copy, of any of the following documents:

• Ontario driver’s licence
• Ontario Health Card (photo card)
• Ontario Photo Card
• Ontario motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion)
• cancelled personalized cheque
• mortgage statement, lease or rental agreement relating to property in Ontario
• insurance policy or insurance statement
• loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution
• document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
• any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency or such a government
• any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)
• income tax assessment notice
• child tax benefit statement
• statement of employment insurance benefits paid T4E
• statement of old age security T4A (OAS)
• statement of Canada Pension Plan benefits T4A (P)
• Canada Pension Plan statement of contributions
• statement of direct deposit for Ontario Works
• statement of direct deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board statement of benefits T5007
• property tax assessment
• credit card statement, bank account statement, or RRSP, RRIF, RHOSP or T5 statement
• CNIB Card or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities
• hospital card or record
• document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution
• document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, issued by the Administrator for the home
• utility bill for hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable TV or a bill from a public utilities commission
• cheque stub, T4 statement or pay receipt issued by an employer
• transcript or report card from a post-secondary school

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

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

• removing yourself from the Voters' List
• removing a deceased person from the Voters' List
• adding yourself to the list of Future Voters (if you are under 18 years of age)

School Board Support

To confirm or change your school support, visit the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) website.

Own multiple properties?

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

Pursuant to the Municipal Elections Act (“MEA”), the municipal Clerk is responsible for conducting the municipal election and establishing all procedures and forms and providing for any matters necessary for conducting the election. 

The Council of a local municipality may pass by-laws:

• authorizing the use of voting and vote-counting equipment such as voting machines, voting recorders or optical scanning vote tabulators.
• authorizing electors to use an alternative voting method, such as voting by mail or by telephone, that does not require electors to attend a voting place to vote.

The MEA requires the municipal Council to pass a by-law for use of voting and vote-counting equipment, authorizing electors to use an alternative voting method and circumstances in which the municipal Clerk shall hold a recount on or before May 1st in the year of the election.

Are you considering running for office? Nominations open May 1, 2026 and close on August 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM.

On May 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM the Returning Officer/Clerk for the Town of Wasaga Beach will be hosting a Candidate Information Session to be held in the Council Chambers at Town Hall located at 30 Lewis Street, Wasaga Beach, L9Z 1A1. This session will provide a brief overview of the roles and responsibilities of Council members and discuss the particulars of Council membership in Wasaga Beach. 

On May 28, 2026 the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) will be hosting an education session for potential Candidates to be held at the Township of Clearview Administration Centre located at 217 Gideon Street, Stayner, Ontario L0M 1S0.  Topics will include the role of council and staff, campaign expenses and contributions, financial statement requirements, and more. This meeting will be recorded and made available through the election website.

Each election cycle, the MMAH releases a Candidate’s Guide for Municipal Elections. The 2026 Candidate’s Guide has now been released. Access the 2026 guide here. 

Important Dates for Candidates

Qualifications for Mayor, Deputy Mayor & Councillor

To run for a position on council you must be eligible to vote in the Town of Wasaga Beach.

On the day you file your nomination, a person must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age
• An owner or tenant of land in the Town of Wasaga Beach, or the spouse of the owner or tenant

Qualifications for School Board Trustees

To run for School Board Trustee you must be a resident within the jurisdiction of the board, and you must be eligible to vote in a school board election. On the day you file our nomination, a person must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age
• Must meet any other qualifications to vote for the school board (for example, being a Roman Catholic, or holding French language rights).

Candidate Resources

• Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO)
  
  • AMO Municipal Election information, guides, and resources
  • We All Win - Diversity on Council
  • Candidate Workshops - AMO offers a number of online workshops for candidates and potential candidates
  • AMO Workshop - An Information Session for Youth Considering Running for Municipal Office
• Other resources
  • Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Guides - An updated guide for the 2026 election is expected in April 2026
  • Federation of Canadian Municipalities - Municipal Elections in Canada: A Guide for Women Candidates
  • Ontario Municipal Councillor’s Guide
  • electHER Now
  • Operation Black Vote Canada
  • Canadian-Muslim Vote

Filing a nomination

The nomination period begins on 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

The Election Office is located at Town Hall, 30 Lewis Street, Wasaga Beach.

How to File a Nomination

You must file in person with a Deputy Returning Officer at the Election Office located at Town Hall, 30 Lewis Street. To book a nomination filing appointment, contact: election@wasagabeach.com. 

You will need to pay the nomination fee ($200.00 for Mayor, $100.00 for Deputy Mayor, Councillor, 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. The MMAH will be releasing the updated forms sometime in April 2026.

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

Withdrawing a Nomination

If you no longer wish to run in the Town of Wasaga Beach municipal election, you must file a written withdrawal in-person with a Deputy Returning Officer before 2:00 PM on Nomination Day (August 21, 2026).

Reasons to Reject a Nomination by the Clerk

Prior to 2:00 PM on Friday, Augst 21, 2026 (Monday following Nomination Day), the Town Clerk must examine each nomination filed. If satisfied and if the nomination complies with the Municipal Election Act, 1996, the person is qualified to be nominated and the Town Clerk shall certify the nomination. If not satisfied, the Clerk shall reject the nomination and give notice to the person who sought to be nominated and all other 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.

Who is a Third Party Advertiser?

A third party advertiser is an individual, corporation, or trade union that can create ads that support, promote, or oppose a candidate, or a “yes” or “no” answer to a question on the ballot.

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.

Third party advertisers who wish to spend money on advertisements during the election must register with the City Clerk and must file a financial statement.

Third Party Advertiser Registration

Registrations will be accepted by the Clerk, or designate, on the prescribed Form (Form 7), between the 1st day for filing nominations, Friday, May 1, 2026 and 4:30 pm on the Friday before Voting Day, October 23, 2026. Third party advertisers must be registered in each municipality where they want to advertise.

The notice must be filed in the prescribed Form and must include a declaration of qualification signed by the individual or by a representative of the corporation or trade union, as the case may be. A notice of registration may be filed in person or by an agent.

If a registration is submitted by an agent who is acting on behalf of an individual who wishes to register as a Third Party Advertiser, they must provide the Clerk with a signed and dated letter from the Third Party registrant at the time of registration which authorizes the agent to register on their behalf. The letter must be commissioned or notarized by a person authorized under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act or Notaries Act.

Until the Clerk certifies your registration, a Third Party Advertiser may not incur campaign expenses, accept contributions or begin advertising.

Eligible Third Party Advertisers

Only the following persons and entities are eligible to file a notice of registration to be a third party advertiser:

• 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

Ineligible Third Party Advertisers

The following persons and entities are not eligible to file a notice of registration:

• a nominated candidate
• 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

Note: Section 88.6(6) of the Municipal Elections Act (MEA) states that third party advertisements shall not be under the direction of a candidate whose nomination has been filed under section 33 of the MEA.

Third Party Advertiser Resources

Each election cycle, the MMAH releases a Third Party Advertiser Guide for Municipal Elections. The 2026 guide is now available.  Access the 2026 guide here.