Election voting opens Oct. 19

Emily Bowen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Mildmay Town Crier

SOUTH BRUCE- Residents will begin voting in the 2026 municipal and school board election on Oct. 19, with ballots available online or by telephone until 8 p.m. on Oct. 26.

Advance voting will open at 10 a.m. Oct. 19 and remain open until voting closes on Election Day. Voter Assistance Centres will be available in Mildmay and Teeswater, while residents who need help can also contact the municipality’s Voter Help Desk.

The certified candidates for mayor are Mark Goetz and Mike Niesen. For councillor-at-large, the candidates are Rita Groen, Nigel Van Dyk and Rob Fischer. Julia Gutscher, Tim Borho and Mark Ireland are running for councillor in the Teeswater-Culross Ward, while Ashton Metcalfe and Ron (Huck) Schnurr were acclaimed in the Mildmay-Carrick Ward.

Residents who need assistance with voting can contact the municipality at 519-392-6623 during regular business hours or email election@southbruce.ca. Voter Assistance Centres will be located at the Mildmay-Carrick Fire Hall at 9 Absalom St. E. and the South Bruce Municipal Office at 21 Gordon St. E. in Teeswater.

The municipality has also provided several opportunities for residents to check and correct their information on the voters’ list. The list was prepared Sept. 1, and eligible electors can verify their information at the municipal office during regular business hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.

Residents can apply to add or remove their own name from the list until Oct. 26, before voting closes. Revisions can be made at the municipal office during regular hours through Election Day, with an additional opportunity on Oct. 10 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Revisions will also be accepted at the Mildmay-Carrick Fire Hall or the Teeswater municipal office.

Applications to change the voters’ list must be filed by the applicant or their agent, either in person or by mail, or according to the municipality’s election procedures. The required form must include identification showing the voter’s name, qualifying address and signature.

Voters are required to show identification when voting. Anyone already on the voters’ list must provide one piece of identification showing their name and address. A photo or signature is not required.

To vote in the municipal election, a person must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on voting day. They must also live in South Bruce, own or rent land in the municipality, or be the spouse of an owner or tenant. People prohibited from voting under the Municipal Elections Act or another law are not eligible.

Residents were able to confirm, add or update their personal information for Ontario elections through RegisterToVoteOn.ca until Aug. 12. Anyone making changes on or after Sept. 1 must contact the municipal clerk. School support for election purposes can be changed through school-support.mpac.ca.

Residents whose names and addresses appearing on the voters’ list could put their life, health or security at risk can request to have that information redacted.

Oct. 23 is the final day to register as a third-party advertiser, with registrations due by 4:30 p.m. The same date is the deadline for a registered third-party advertiser to withdraw their registration. Withdrawals must be submitted to the clerk in writing during the clerk’s office hours.

Voting will remain open through Oct. 26, with internet and telephone voting closing at 8 p.m. that evening.

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