Port Colborne Votes - Municipal Elections 2026

For Voters - 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.  

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

• 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) 

The Candidate Nomination Period will open May 1, 2026.

2022 Forms and More Information: 

2022 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) Candidate Guide

2022 Port Colborne Candidates Guide

Port Colborne Election Sign By-law

MMAH Presentation for Candidates 

These documents may be updated closer to the 2026 election date.

Yearly Stipend:

The current yearly stipend for City Council is:

• Mayor $46,175
• Councillors $22,973

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: 

2022 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Third Party Advertisers’ Guide

Notice of Registration – Third Party