VOTER INFORMATION

Election Day is Monday, October 26, 2026!

• From Thursday, October 15 to Monday, October 26, 2026, you can cast your electronic ballot anytime, anywhere.
• If you prefer to vote in-person, you can cast your electronic ballot at the Voter Help Centre at the Val Rita Community Centre, Council Chambers at 106 Government Road, Val Rita. 

The Voter Help Centre will be open on the following dates:

• Friday October 16, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm;
• Tuesday October 20, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm;
• Thursday October 22, 2026, 1 pm to 4 pm;
• Friday October 23, 2026, 10 am to 4 pm and
• Monday October 26, 2026, 10 am to 8 pm

The next municipal election will be held Monday, October 26, 2026. Elections for municipal governments in Ontario are held every 4 years on the fourth Monday of October. As of January 15, 2024, Elections Ontario has taken over responsibility of voters’ lists for Municipal and School Board Elections in Ontario.

We encourage you to confirm that you are on the Voters List as soon as possible.

 

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for changes to voters’ school support designation. MPAC has an online portal to allow property owners or tenants registered with MPAC to designate their school support. Forms are also available should you not have an account.

If you have been newly added to the voters’ list, or you have moved or changed your address since the last election, your school board support will automatically default to English Public.

Township of Val Rita-Harty has four school boards within its boundaries:

• Conseil scolaire catholique du district des Grandes Rivières (Zone F) – French Catholic
• Conseil scolaire publique du Nord-Est de l’Ontario (Zone I) – French Public
• Northeastern Catholic District School Board (Zone A) – English Catholic
• District School Board Ontario North East (Zone G) –English Public

Voters may only support one board and it must be a board they are eligible to support.

• Voters who are not Roman Catholic and have French-language education rights must be either English or French Public school supporters.
• Voters who are not Roman Catholic and do not have French-language education rights must be English Public school supporters.
• Voters who are Roman Catholic and do not have French-language education rights must be either English Public or English Separate school supporters.
• Only voters who are Roman Catholic and have French-language education rights have the choice of supporting any one of the four District School Boards

French-language education rights exist when a person meets the following criteria:

• First learned and still understands French; or
• Received their elementary school instruction in Canada in French (this does not include French immersion or French as a second language); or
• Whose children received, or are now receiving, elementary or secondary school instruction in Canada in French (this does not include French immersion or French as a second language).

Visit MPAC’s online portal or complete the Application for Direction of School Support if you need to add or update your school support.

Guide: MPAC’s Online Portal to Direct School Support

By visiting Register to Vote, eligible voters can:
• confirm their information on the voters list
• update, add or remove information on the voters list

Register to Vote is easy to use.
• To confirm your information, you’ll need your name, date of birth, and property address.
• Additional ID is required to update, add or remove voter information. Voters wishing to be added to the voters’ list or update their information will be required to provide a piece of identification with both their name and Ontario home address.

Confirm you are registered to vote
You must be on the voter’s list to vote in a municipal council or school board election.

A person is eligible to vote in the upcoming Municipal and School Board Elections if they:

• Are a resident in the local municipality or are the owner or tenant of land there, or the spouse of such owner or tenant;
• Are a Canadian citizen;
• Are at least 18 years old; and
• Are not prohibited from voting under subsection 17 (3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 or otherwise by law.
  • Subsection 17(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 prohibits the following persons from voting:
    • A person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution;
    • A corporation;
    • A person acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity; and
    • A person who was convicted of the corrupt practice described in subsection 90 (3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, if voting day in the current election is less than five years after voting day in the election in respect of which the person was convicted.

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.

Note: property must be personally owned or rented to vote in that municipality. Properties owned by a business or trust do not qualify.

Voting for Mayor and Council

During a municipal election, voters in the Township of Val Rita-Harty elect: 

• One (1) Mayor and four (4) Councillors

 

Tuesday, September 1 to Monday, October 26, 2026 (Election Day)

• Revisions period (during this time voters can make changes to their information on the voters’ list with the municipality)

Thursday, October 15 to Monday, October 26, 2026

• Electronic voting period (24/7)
• Voting opens at 10 a.m.

Monday, October 26, 2026 – Election Day

• Electronic voting open until 8 p.m.
• Voting open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Official declaration of 2026 elections results by Elections Clerk and/or designate as soon as possible after close of voting.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

• The Elections Clerk shall declare the official results and provide information to the public on the website at www.valharty.ca.

To vote in Val Rita-Harty, you must show proof of temporary residence in the Municipality. If your permanent home is in the Municipality of Val Rita-Harty but you are studying elsewhere, you can still vote here using your Voter Information Letter. Once you have registered and are on the Voters’ List.

You will receive a Voter Information Letter in Fall 2026. This package will contain:

• Information and instructions on how to cast your electronic ballot during the voting period
• A list of voting dates and locations
• Identification requirements

• Website: www.registertovoteon.ca
• Tel: 1-866-242-3025
• Email: info@RegistertoVoteON.ca

These are just a few of the important dates for 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections candidates. We strongly advise all candidates consult the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for further information. Please Note that the Val Rita-Harty Municipal Office is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Kindly contact the office to make an appointment to file your nomination papers for the positions of Mayor and Councillor.

Friday, May 1, 2026

• Nominations open for Mayor and Council Candidates.

Friday August 21, 2026 – Nomination Day

• Nomination Day, this is the last day for submitting nomination papers, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• A candidate who wishes to withdraw their nomination must notify the clerk in writing before 2 p.m.

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

• Voters’ list available to candidates.

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 to Monday, October 26, 2026 (Election Day)

• Revisions period for the Voters’ List. Visit in person at the Municipality of Val Rita-Harty Municipal Office at 106 Government Road, Val Rita, during regular business hours.

Thursday October 15, 2026

• E-Voting Period commences at 10 a.m. and continues until 8:00 p.m. on Monday October 26th. Eligible voters will be able to vote from anywhere they can access the internet or telephone.

Tuesday October 20, 2026

• Voter Help Centre, Municipality of Val Rita-Harty Council Chambers, 106 Government Road, Val Rita open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursday October 22, 2026

• Voter Help Centre, Municipality of Val Rita-Harty Council Chambers, 106 Government Road, Val Rita open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Friday October 23, 2026

• Voter Help Centre, Municipality of Val Rita-Harty Council Chambers, 106 Government Road, Val Rita open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, October 26, 2026 – Election Day

• Electronic voting open until 8 p.m.
• Voter Help Centre, Municipality of Val Rita-Harty Council Chambers, 106 Government Road, Val Rita open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As soon as possible after Election Day

• Official Declaration of 2026 Election Results by the Elections Clerk

Thursday, December 31, 2026

• End of campaign period
• Deadline to file for extension of campaign period

Tuesday, March 30, 2027

• Deadline to file financial statement for period ending Thursday, December 31, 2026 (until 2 p.m.)

An individual may run for municipal or school board office if they are eligible to vote in the election and fulfill all of the following requirements:

Mayor and Council

• Is 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;

• Is a Canadian citizen;

• Is at least 18 years old;

• Is not legally prohibited from voting; and

• Is not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

School Board Trustees (Contact the Municipal Office responsible for filing of school board nominations)

• Is a Canadian citizen;

• Is at least 18 years of age;

• Is a resident within the District School Board’s area of jurisdiction and qualified to vote for members of that District School Board;

• Candidates can only qualify for one District School Board seat. Candidates for the office of Trustee cannot change their school support after Nomination Day.

Nominations open Friday, May 1, 2026.

The deadline for a candidate to file their nomination for municipal or school board office is Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Those who are satisfied that they meet the prescribed requirements, as set out in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and wish to campaign for office must first file a Nomination Paper with the Elections Clerk of the Township of Val Rita-Harty. Nominations for office can be filed anytime between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. , closed from 12 Noon to 1 p.m., (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays).

A nomination fee must also be paid at this time, which can be made by debit, certified cheque or money order payable to the Township of Val Rita-Harty.

• $100 for Councillors and School Board Trustees

• $200 for Mayor

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Nomination Paper – Form 1

Once you have filed your Nomination Paper, you are officially able to begin campaigning for office and incurring campaign expenses. All candidates will receive access to the electronic candidate access portal, which will contain important documents and updates relating to the 2026 Municipal Election. For this reason, all candidates who register will require an email address to gain access to the Portal.

The Municipality of Val Rita-Harty is not able to provide advice to candidates, and we encourage candidates to review the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 to satisfy your obligations and responsibilities under the Act.

The campaign period ends Thursday, December 31, 2026. Registrants may request an extension of the campaign period to eliminate a deficit by submitting the prescribed Notice of Extension form with the Elections Clerk on or before Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Those who have campaigned for municipal office are required to file a complete and accurate financial statement, as per the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, by the deadline above.

The last day to file a withdrawal of nomination is Friday, August 21, 2026 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

If you decide you no longer wish to run in the 2026 Municipal Election, you must file the Withdrawal of Nomination Form with the Election Clerk of the Township of Val Rita-Harty.

Resources for Candidates
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Guides
Ontario Municipal Councillor’s Guide

Relevant Legislation
Municipal Act, 2001
Municipal Elections Act, 1996
Education Act, 1990