Bruce-Grey and Owen Sound Votes: 2026 Municipal Election Guide
Key Dates
May 1, 2026: Nomination period opens
August 21, 2026: Nomination period closes (4:30 p.m.)
September 1, 2026: Final list of certified candidates available
October 26, 2026: Election Day
Advance voting dates, voting methods (in-person, mail-in, online or telephone) and polling locations vary by municipality. Some Grey and Bruce municipalities used internet and telephone voting in 2022; others used traditional paper ballots. More on that below.
On Monday, October 26, 2026, residents across Grey and Bruce counties head to the polls to elect mayors, councillors and school board trustees.
Municipal governments make decisions that touch nearly every part of daily life — from the condition of your road to how your property taxes are spent — yet voter turnout in municipal elections is consistently the lowest of the three levels of government.
This guide is designed to help you cut through the noise.
We’ll cover what each position actually does, when and how to vote, and where to find candidate information for your specific municipality.
Because Elections Ontario and individual municipalities are the official sources of truth on candidate registrations and polling logistics, we link directly to those sources rather than duplicating information that may change.
We’ll update this page as nominations close and campaigns develop.
Am I Eligible to Vote?
To vote in an Ontario municipal election, you must be:
A Canadian citizen
At least 18 years old on Election Day
A resident of the municipality, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality (or the spouse of one)
Not legally prohibited from voting
You can confirm or update your information on the voters’ list through the ‘Register to Vote’ website here.
Check Your School Support Designation by June 1
Every property in Ontario is linked to a school board for tax purposes — even if the property owner has no children, or their children are grown. That designation determines which school board’s trustee race appears on your ballot.
If your designation is wrong, you’ll be voting for the wrong board.
According to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), school support designations should be reviewed and, if necessary, updated by June 1, 2026 to be reflected on the voters’ list in time for the October 26 election.
Who Can Set the Designation
Property owners can set or change the school support designation for their property.
Tenants can direct the designation for the property they occupy, regardless of the owner’s preference.
If no designation is made, the default is the English-language public school board (in Grey-Bruce, that’s the Bluewater District School Board).
How to Check or Update It
Online: Visit MPAC’s School Support webpage.
Paper option: Download MPAC’s Application for Direction of School Support form (English / French) and mail or email it to MPAC.
Online registration can take up to 24 hours to activate. MPAC has step-by-step guides available in English and French.
For more information, visit mpac.ca/schoolsupport.
Who’s Running: By Municipality
Nominations open May 1 and close August 21, 2026. Candidate lists are maintained by each municipality and updated as nominations are filed. We’ll add direct links to certified candidate lists as municipalities publish them.
Grey County
City of Owen Sound — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 7 Councillors (all at-large). Strong Mayor municipality. Candidate list
Town of The Blue Mountains — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors (all at-large). Candidate list
Municipality of Meaford — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors (all at-large). Candidate list
Township of Georgian Bluffs — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors. Candidate list requested from municipality
Township of Chatsworth — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 3 Councillors. Not yet published but should appear on this page once available
Town of Hanover — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors. Strong Mayor municipality. Candidate list
Municipality of West Grey — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors (all at-large). Candidate list
Township of Southgate — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors (all at-large). Candidate list
Municipality of Grey Highlands — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors. Candidate list
Bruce County
Town of Saugeen Shores — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Vice Deputy Mayor, 6 Ward Councillors (Saugeen, Southampton and Port Elgin wards, two each). Strong Mayor municipality. Candidate list
Municipality of Kincardine — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 3 Councillors-at-Large, 2 Ward 1 Councillors, 1 Ward 2 Councillor, 1 Ward 3 Councillor. Strong Mayor municipality. Candidate list
Municipality of Brockton — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors. Strong Mayor municipality. Candidate list
Municipality of Arran-Elderslie — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Ward Councillors (Arran, Tara, Chesley, Paisley, Elderslie). Candidate list
Town of South Bruce Peninsula — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 3 Councillors. Candidate list
Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 3 Councillors. Candidate list
Township of Huron-Kinloss — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors (all at-large). Strong Mayor municipality. Candidate list
Municipality of South Bruce — Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 5 Councillors. Candidate list not yet published but should appear here.
School Boards
Bluewater District School Board trustee candidates — Not yet published in their election guide
Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board trustee candidates — Not yet available
Trustee, Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French public) — One trustee represents the combined area of Bruce, Dufferin, Grey and Simcoe counties. Nominations are filed with the Barrie City Clerk (70 Collier Street, Barrie). Voters who live more than 100 kilometres from Barrie City Hall can file nominations through their own municipal Clerk's office on request.
Trustee, Conseil scolaire catholique Providence (French Catholic) — One trustee represents the combined area of Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth and Lambton counties. Nominations are filed with the Sarnia City Clerk (255 Christina Street North, Sarnia). Voters who live more than 100 kilometres from Sarnia can file nominations through their own municipal Clerk's office on request.
A Note on First Nations Elections
The Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation (Neyaashiinigmiing) hold their own band council elections under their respective governance structures. These are separate from Ontario’s municipal election process. Both communities have elections in 2026.
The Owen Sound Current will share information about these elections as it becomes available, in coordination with each community.
How to Vote
Each municipality runs its own election under the framework of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. That means voting methods, advance polling dates and accessibility accommodations vary across Grey and Bruce.
Don’t see your municipality listed? Visit their website for info; it may not have been available at time of publication.
Arran-Elderslie: Eligible voters in Arran-Elderslie will cast their ballots using a secure internet and telephone voting system, with voting open October 19 to October 26, 2026. Residents can also vote from the Municipal Office, or at the Voter Assistance Centres.
Blue Mountains: During the Voting Period, voters in the Town of The Blue Mountains will be able to cast their vote by internet or telephone, 24 hours a day. A Voter Help Centre will be available during the Voting Period to provide assistance.
Brockton: The Municipality of Brockton will be using an internet and telephone voting system. You will be able to vote online or by telephone from Monday, October 19, 2026 beginning at 10:00 a.m. until Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Chatsworth: All eligible voters will receive a Voting Kit by mail around the last week of September. The kit includes everything needed to vote and return the ballot using a prepaid return envelope. Canada Post will deliver completed ballots to the Municipal Office for counting by Election Day or completed ballots can be dropped off at the Municipal Office.
Grey Highlands: The Voting Period for the 2026 Municipal Election runs from 10:00 a.m. on October 13, 2026 to 8:00 p.m. on October 26, 2026. Voters in the Municipality of Grey Highlands will be able to vote by internet. Election Centres will be available during the voting period to provide assistance.
Hanover: The Town will utilize both internet and telephone voting in the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election. Mail-in and paper ballots will not be used.
Huron-Kinloss: The Township of Huron‑Kinloss uses internet and telephone voting for the municipal and school board election.
Kincardine: Eligible voters in the Municipality of Kincardine will cast their ballots using a secure internet and telephone voting system, with voting open from October 19 to October 26, 2026. Electors will receive a Voter Information Letter (VIL) in the mail, providing instructions and a secure PIN to vote using either the internet or telephone.
Meaford: The Municipality of Meaford will be using Internet and Telephone voting in the 2026 Election.
Owen Sound: Voters in the City of Owen Sound will once again be able to cast their vote by internet or telephone, 24 hours a day. Election Centres will be available during the voting period to provide assistance.
Saugeen Shores: The Town of Saugeen Shores will be utilizing an internet and telephone voting system. Paper ballots will not be used. A Voter Help Centre will be set-up at The Plex during the voting period for assistance with internet voting.
South Bruce: Voting for the 2026 Election will be by internet or telephone vote.
South Bruce Peninsula: The voting method will be Vote by Phone and Vote by Internet.
Southgate: The voting period for the 2026 Municipal Election will run from October 16 to 26, 2026. Voters in the Township of Southgate vote by internet or telephone. Election Help Centres will be available during the voting period to provide assistance, the dates, times and locations of the Election Help Centres will be made available closer to the election voting period.
West Grey: The Municipality of West Grey will be using internet and telephone voting for the 2026 Municipal Election.
Coverage from the Owen Sound Current
We’ll be publishing candidate profiles, debate coverage and analysis throughout the campaign. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss it.
Has your organization scheduled an all-candidates meeting? Send the details to owensoundcurrenteditor@gmail.com and we'll add it to this page.
Other Helpful Resources
2026 voters’ guide Ontario municipal council and school board elections - Province of Ontario
2026 candidates’ guide — Ontario municipal council and school board elections - Province of Ontario