2026 Municipal Election

Dan Calvert

• (807) 620-7777
• calvert@tbaytel.net

To be eligible as a candidate in the Oliver Paipoonge municipal election, you must meet the following requirements: 

• a resident of the municipality or a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such a person
• a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old
• not legally prohibited from voting and not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

Candidates must pick up a Candidates Package at the Municipal Office.  The information contained in the package is listed below and provides further information and instruction:

• Nomination Paper Form 1 and Endorsement of Nomination Form 2 (to be filed in the office)              – It is recommended more than 25 signatures be collected
• Declaration of Qualifications (to be filed in the office)
• Acceptable Documents for Identification (identification must be provided at the time of filing the Nomination Paper) 
• Full Legal Name Form (to be filed in the office)
• Consent to Release Personal Information (to be filed in the office)
• Financial Statement – Form 4
• Preliminary Certificate of Maximum Campaign Expenses – Candidate/Contributions – Own Campaign/for Parties etc. (final certificate to be provided before September 30/26)
• Financial Statement – Subsequent Expense – Form 5
• Notice of Extension of Campaign Period – Form 6
• Withdrawal of Nomination Form
• 2026 Candidate’s Guide for Ontario Municipal and School Board Elections
• 2026 Voter’s Guide for Ontario Municipal and School Board Elections
• Common Voter Questions and Answers for eVoting
• Ministry of Transportation – Sign Policy
• Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge – By-law No. 37-2026 Election Signs
• Candidate’s Guide to Accessible Elections
• Accessible Elections
• Use of Corporate Resources
• Offences, Penalties & Enforcement
• Declaration of Proper Use of Voters’ List (provided upon filing of Nomination Paper and to be filed in the office)
• Appointment of Scrutineer Form (provided upon filing of Nomination Paper)

 OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE CANDIDATE:

1. Filing Fee (The fee shall be paid in cash, debit, certified cheque or money order payable to the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge.)

     $200 for Mayor                               $100 for Councillor

2. Candidates must open a separate bank account for election purposes if accepting contributions and incurring expenses.

3.      Municipal Elections Act Section 88.22 (1) A candidate shall ensure that,

    (a)   no contributions of money are accepted or expenses are incurred unless one or more campaign     accounts are first opened at a financial institution exclusively for the purposes of the election     campaign;

(b)   all contributions of money are deposited into the campaign accounts

4. The Nomination Paper Form 1 along with the Endorsement of Nomination Form 2 may be filed during normal office hours beginning Friday, May 1, 2026, up to August 20, 2026, and on Nomination Day, Friday, August 21, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  It is recommended appointments be made to file your Nomination Paper Form 1 and Form 2 as walk-ins will not guarantee the Clerk or designate are available to accept the Nomination Paper.

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• Candidate & Third Party Advertisers Information Session
• AMO's Healthy Democracy Leaders Series:  Stronger Leaders, Stronger Communities
• An Information Session for Youth Considering Running for Municipal Office

During the four‑year Council term, regular Council meetings are held twice per month. A reduced meeting schedule may be implemented for the months of July, August, and December with only one meeting scheduled per month. Additional special meetings may be called as needed—for example, to address urgent matters, budget review, participate in training sessions, or conduct public consultations.

Beyond Council meetings, Councillors may also be expected to participate in a range of additional activities, including:

Boards and Committees

• Serving on municipal boards and committees, which often meet outside regular working hours, such as evenings or weekends. 
• In addition to committees created by Council, the municipality also participates in boards for other organizations, such as the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board.

Conferences and Training

• Attending annual or bi‑annual conferences hosted by municipal associations, depending on the Municipality’s memberships.

Community Events

• Taking part in community events.
  These are not mandatory, but they can add to a Councillor’s overall time commitment depending on how many invitations an individual chooses to accept.

 Anyone can vote in a municipal election who, on the day of the election, is:

• 18 years of age or older
• a Canadian citizen; and
• either a resident of the municipality or a property owner or tenant or the spouse or same sex partner of an owner or tenant in the municipality during a specified time just before the election.

Municipal Elections Act, subsection 17

Elections Ontario manages a single register of electors for both provincial and municipal elections in Ontario. You can check to see if your name is on the voters' list or manage your information through the voter registration service. If you voted in a Provincial or Federal Election, it does not guarantee that you are on the Voters' List for a Municipal Election.

Are you 16 or 17 years old and interested in voting? If you are 16 or 17 years old, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of Ontario, you can add your name to the Register of Future Voters.

After August 13, 2026, changes to the voter's list must be made through the municipal office.

You can check to see if your name is on the voters' list or manage your information through the voter registration service.

To ensure your correct school support designation is provided to Elections Ontario in time for the next municipal and school board elections on October 26, 2026, it should be reviewed and, if needed, updated by June 1, 2026.

While Elections Ontario maintains the Permanent Register of Electors in Ontario for provincial, municipal, and school board elections, MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) is legislatively responsible for collecting school support designation information.  
 

What is school support? 

Whether you own or rent your home, your property is linked to a school board – even if you don’t have children or your children aren’t currently attending school. While you’re not required to make a designation, you do have the option to choose which school board you support. If you don’t make a choice, your support will default to the English-Public school board.  
 

How to update school support designations

Property owners can change their school support designation online using MPAC AboutMyProperty™ their our online portal for tenants. To get started, choose the option that applies to you:  

• I am a property owner 
• I am a tenant 

A step-by-step guide is available in English or French. 

Please note: Registration may take up to 24 hours to activate. 

You can submit a paper Application for Direction of School Support form in English or French and mail or email it to MPAC. 

To learn more or update a school support designation, visit mpac.ca/schoolsupport. 

Election Day

• Monday, October 26, 2026     10:00 am – 8:00 pm

 

e-Voting

 

Click HERE for Common Voter Questions and Answers for eVoting

Friday, May 1

• First day to file a nomination paper for the offices of Mayor and Councillor 

  • once the nomination paper is filed with the Deputy Clerk, the candidate can start raising and spending money on their campaign

  • preliminary spending limit provided to candidates

  • preliminary contribution limit provided to candidates running for Mayor and Councillor 

• First day to file a notice of registration as a third party advertiser

  • a third party advertiser cannot raise or spend money on their campaign, nor begin advertising, until their registration is certified by the Deputy Clerk

  • preliminary spending limit provided to third party advertiser upon certification

Friday, August 21 at 2 p.m.

• Deadline for candidates to:

  • file a nomination

  • withdraw a nomination

  • change office

Monday, August 24

• Last day for the Deputy Clerk to certify candidate nomination papers

Thursday, September 1

• Voters’ List available to candidates

Friday, September 30

• Final spending limits provided to candidates and registered third party advertisers

• Final self-contribution limit provided to candidates running for Mayor and Councillor

Friday, October 23

• Last day to register as a third party advertiser

Monday, October 26

• Election Day

Thursday, December 31

• End of campaign period for candidates and third party advertisers

• Last day to file a Notice of Extension, Form 6, to continue campaigning to erase a deficit

Friday, March 30 at 2 p.m.

• Deadline for candidates and third party advertisers to file the initial financial statement

Friday, June 30

• End of extended campaign period

Friday, September 24 at 2 p.m.

• Deadline for candidates and third party advertisers to file the supplementary financial statement (applies only to those who extended their campaign period)

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.

Third party advertising is a way for those outside of the candidate’s campaign to express support of or opposition to candidates (or a “yes” or “no” answer to a question on the ballot) and to try to persuade voters to vote a certain way.

A third party advertisement is an advertisement in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium that promotes, supports or opposes a candidate, or a “yes” or “no” answer to a question on the ballot. Advertisement includes traditional ads as well as materials such as brochures or signs. 

Only those who have registered can spend money on third party advertising. The following are eligible to register as a third party advertiser:

• any person who is a resident in Ontario
• a corporation carrying on business in Ontario 
• a trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario 

If two or more corporations are owned or controlled by the same person or people, or if one corporation controls another, they are considered to be a single corporation. If the same person or people own or control multiple corporations, only one of those corporations may register to be a third party advertiser in a municipality.

There is no restriction against family members or campaign staff of candidates registering to be third party advertisers. However, third party advertising must be done independently of the candidate. If a person with close ties to a candidate wants to register they should consider how these activities may look to the public and how they would be able to demonstrate that they were not working in co-ordination with the candidate.

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets out a restricted period for third party advertising. This restricted period runs from May 1 in the year of the election to the close of voting on voting day. For the 2026 election, the restricted period is May 1, 2026 to the close of voting on October 26, 2026. 

An individual, corporation or trade union must register with the municipal clerk to be a third party advertiser.

Registration for third party advertisers begins on May 1, 2026, and ends at the close of business on Friday, October 23, 2026. 

Third Party Advertisers must file a Notice of Registration (Form 7) with the municipal clerk in person or by an agent. It must have an original signature – the form may not be a copy and may not be scanned and submitted electronically. There is no registration fee.

The Third Party Advertisers' Guide is produced by the province.