Information for Voters

The next municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026, and electors will cast their vote using internet or telephone voting.

Voting opens on Friday, October 16 at 10 a.m. and closes on Monday, October 26 at 8 p.m.

For the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election, voters will again cast their vote using the internet or telephone. The City has been using internet and telephone voting in municipal elections since 2010.

Internet and telephone voting allows eligible voters to cast their vote from anywhere, even the comfort of their own home, as long as they have an internet connection and/or access to a telephone.

Options to cast your vote include:

• desktop or laptop/computer
• smart phone (mobile device)
• tablet device
• touchtone phone

Benefits of internet and telephone voting include:

• Accessibility - whether you are away on personal travel, suffering from illness, working days or nights, have a disability, or just have difficulty travelling, you can cast your ballot from anywhere with an internet connection or working telephone.
• Convenience - remotely cast your vote from anywhere during the voting period using a computer, smart phone, tablet, device, or touchtone phone.
• Environment Friendly - with voters not being required to travel to voting locations, the impact on greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced.

Watch the Municipal Voter Experience Video to help walk you through the online voting process.

In order to be eligible to vote, you must meet the Qualifications of Electors as listed in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s.17(2)

A person is entitled to be an elector at an election held in a local municipality if, on voting day, he or she,

• resides in the local municipality or is the owner or tenant of land there, or is the spouse of such owner or tenant;
• is a Canadian citizen;
• is at least 18 years old; and
• is not prohibited from voting under subsection (3) or otherwise by law.

All you need to do is use your PIN and date of birth to log into the voting system during the voting period and cast your vote. If you do not receive a PIN in the mail come to the Clerk's Office or the Voter Help Centre to obtain one.

Student voting

Students are allowed to vote in both their home municipality and the municipality where they are attending school.

A Voter Information Letter is a letter that will be mailed to you by October 14, 2026, if you are on the Voters' List. The Voter Information Letter will contain a unique PIN that you will use along with your date of birth to access the voting system. The URL and telephone number to access the voting system will also be included in your letter.

For the 2026 Stratford Municipal and School Board Election, eligible electors can cast their vote for:

• Mayor - one (1) candidate to be elected
• Councillor - ten (10) candidates to be elected
• Avon Maitland District School Board Trustee - two (2) candidates to be elected
• Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board Trustee - one (1) candidates to be elected

The candidates for the Office of Conseil scolaire viamonde (French language public district school board) and Conseil scolaire catholique providence (French language catholic district school board) have been acclaimed.

A Voter Help Centre will be available in the Community Halls at the Rotary Complex (353 McCarthy Road West) on the following dates and times to assist electors with the voting process and/or answer questions about the voting process:

• Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For the 2026 Municipal Election, voters will cast their vote through the internet or telephone. If you would like assistance you can attend the Voter Help Centre to be located in the Community Halls at the Rotary Complex, 353 McCarthy Road West, Stratford. Laptops will be available for you to use to cast your vote.

Please bring your Voter Information Letter and identification to vote at the Voter Help Centre. 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

A Voter Help Desk will be available in the Clerk’s Office, located on the Ground Floor of Stratford City Hall, 1 Wellington Street, Stratford. The Voter Help Desk can answer questions, add an elector or change an elector's information on the voter's list. A scent free voting area will also be provided during the hours of operation. The Voter Help Desk will be available during the following dates and times:

• October 16 and 19-23, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• October 24, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (telephone inquiries only)
• October 25, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (telephone inquiries only)
• Monday, October 26, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Voter Help Desk can be contacted by calling 519-271-0250 extension 5237 or by emailing the Election's Team.

In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Voter Help Centres will also be established at the following institutions and retirement homes, exclusively for the residents of those homes or institutions:

• River Gardens Retirement Home - October 19, 2026 from 1-3:30 p.m. and October 26, 2026 from 9-10 a.m.
• Greenwood Court - October 20, 2026 from  9-11:30 a.m. and October 26, 2026 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• Anne Hathaway Residence - October 20, 2026 from 1-3:30 p.m. and  October 26, 2026 from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Cedarcroft Place - October 21, 2026 from 1-3:30 p.m. and October 26, 2026 from 2-3 p.m.
• Spruce Lodge, Woodland Towers and Hamlet Estates - October 21, 2026 from 9-11:30 a.m. and October 26, 2026 from 3-4 p.m.
• Windmill Gardens - October 22, 2026 from 9-11:30 a.m. and October 26, 2026 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Stratford General Hospital CCU - October 23, 2026 from 9-11:30 a.m. and October 26, 2026 from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• McCarthy Place Retirement Residence - October 22, 2026 from 1-3:30 p.m. and October 26, 2026 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Integrated Electronic Voting Solutions For Municipal Voting Events Simply Voting Security & Reliability Information Date: January 2026.

As of January 1, 2024, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for municipal elections. However, MPAC is required to collect school support information.

Property owners in Ontario must designate support for a school system, even if they do not have children or if their children do not currently attend school. This designation appears on your Property Assessment Notice.

You can update your school support designation through MPAC’s Online School Support Tool. To learn more about school support, visit the MPAC website.

Students attending school away from home may be eligible to vote in multiple municipalities. If a student’s permanent residence and temporary student home are in different municipalities or a Territory Without Municipal Organization area, they can update or add their "home address" as their permanent family residence and list their student home as an additional property they, or their spouse, own or rent.

If you or your spouse own or rent property in a municipality other than your primary residence, you may be eligible to vote in more than one municipal election.

For example, if you qualify as a resident elector in one municipality, and a non-resident elector in three other municipalities, you can vote in all four of those municipal elections.

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing prepares a Voters' Guide for each election. The Voters' Guide provides information to voters for the 2026 municipal council and school board elections. Find out who is eligible to vote, how to vote and how you can support candidates in Ontario municipal council and school board elections. The information also applies to any by-elections that may be held during the 2026-2030 council and school board term.

2026 Voters' Guide

Any person who is a resident of Ontario can make a contribution to a candidate’s campaign or contribute to a third party advertiser to help fund their advertisements. 

You may contribute a maximum of $1,200 to a single candidate. You may also contribute a maximum of $1,200 to a third party advertiser. These amounts include the value of any goods or services donated to the campaign.

You may not contribute more than $5,000 in total to candidates running for offices on the same council or school board, or to third party advertisers who are registered in the same municipality. If you want to contribute to a candidate or third party advertiser, you should make sure that you know what the contribution limits are and keep track of your donations to ensure that you don’t end up giving more than is permitted.

Groups, such as neighbourhood associations and clubs, or professional associations, such as fire or police associations, are not eligible to make financial contributions to candidates or third party advertisers. Members may contribute individually.