Municipal and School Board Election | Municipality of Dysart ET AL

The next Municipal and School Board Election will take place on Monday, October 26, 2026.

Dysart electors will be able to vote by internet or telephone for the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election. There will be no paper ballots.

Eligible electors can cast their votes between October 16, 2026 and Election Day (October 26, 2026).

Voter Information Letters will be mailed to every eligible person shown on the Voters’ List in the fall of 2026. Dates will be posted here as soon as they are confirmed.

Are you on the voters list?

You can use Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration service to confirm, update or add your information for both provincial and municipal elections in Ontario until August 12, 2026.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) remains responsible for collecting information about school support. To update your school support information, visit MPAC’s online School Support tool by June 1st, 2026.

Important Election Dates

Important Election Dates
Date	Event
May 1, 2026	Candidate nomination period and third party advertiser registration period opens. Nominations may be filed in person by appointment at the Dysart Municipal Office beginning on Friday, May 1, 2026 until Thursday, August 20, 2026, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekends and statutory holidays excluded) and on Nomination Day, Friday, August 21, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
May 5, 2026	Candidate Information Session at 6:30 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion in Haliburton (719 Mountain Street) - more details coming soon!
June 1, 2026	Last day to review or change your school support designation. Visit school-support.mpac.ca to learn more.
August 12, 2026	Last day to confirm, update, or add your information the voters list through Elections Ontario by visiting registertovoteon.ca.
August 21, 2026	Nomination Day - Candidate nomination period closes at 2:00 pm.
August 24, 2026	All nominations are certified. Candidates elected by acclamation (if any) are declared.
October 16, 2026	Advance voting period begins.
October 23, 2026	Last day for third party advertisers to file their notice of registration.
October 26, 2026	Voting Day - telephone and internet polls close at 8:00 pm.
October 27, 2026	Official election results declared!
November 17, 2026	Inaugural meeting of the 2026-2030 Term of Council.

Are you a Youth considering running for Municipal Office?

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is offering a series of workshops for young people thinking about running for municipal office in the October 2026 elections.

Click here for full details and registration information

What You'll gain

What to expect running as a candidate and as young person
Critical strategies for successfully campaigning for municipal office
Understand what it takes to become a candidate
Strategies for engagement including communication
And more!

Are you considering running for office?

The Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) is hosting a free webinar series designed to help current municipal officials and first‑time candidates build resilience, purpose, and practical tools for effective public service. You can can sign up for the full stream or individual sessions.

Click here for full details and registration information

Who Should Attend

Community members considering a run for municipal office in 2026
First-time or returning candidates seeking confidence and clarity
Civic leaders exploring if elected office is right for them

What You'll Gain

Clarity of purpose and authentic leadership values
Tools for managing conflict and communication
Strategies to sustain wellbeing and prevent burnout
Practical campaign resources and peer connections

Information for Candidates

Nominations can only be filed in person by appointment during the nomination period for candidates to run in the 2026 Municipal Election. The nomination period begins on Friday, May 1, 2026 and ends at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026.

The municipality will have Nomination Packages available for interested candidates.

A candidate must also must submit 25 signatures from individuals eligible to vote in Dysart on the day they signed the endorsement. This does not apply to School Board Trustee candidates.

Nomination filing fees of $200 apply for Candidates running for Mayor and $100 for Deputy Mayor, Councillors or School Board Trustees.

The province of Ontario releases a comprehensive Candidates' Guide for every municipal election. The new guide will be updated closer to the 2026 election date, however, potential candidates can check out the 2022 guide in the meantime if they want to learn more.

2022 Candidates' Guide

Qualifications for Members of Council

To qualify as a candidate for Municipal Council, you must be:

A Canadian citizen;
At least 18 years old;
A resident in the Municipality of Dysart et al; or
A non-resident of Dysart et al and you or your spouse own or rent property in the Municipality; and
Not legally prohibited from voting; and
Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

The following individuals cannot run for Council:

employees of the Municipality of Dysart et al, unless they are on an unpaid leave of absence from their employment at the time of nomination and are able to provide copies of documentation showing the unpaid leave and the effective date. As per section 30(7) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, volunteer firefighters shall not be considered employees of the Municipality;
a judge of any court;
a member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination;
a member of the Executive Council of Ontario or a federal Minister of the Crown;
individuals prohibited from voting in the municipal election under subsection 17(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, as amended;
a former candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in the last municipal election.

Qualifications for School Board Trustees

To qualify as a School Board Trustee candidate, you must be:

A Canadian citizen;
At least 18 years old;
A resident in the school board area of jurisdiction;
An eligible voter for members of the school board for which you are seeking office;
Not legally prohibited from voting; and
Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

The following individuals cannot run for the office of School Board Trustee:

employees of any district school board (including supply teachers) or school authority, unless they are on an unpaid leave of absence as provided for by section 219 (5) of the Education Act, 1990, as amended, and section 30 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996;
a clerk, treasurer, deputy-clerk or deputy-treasurer of any municipality within the school board's area of jurisdiction, unless they are on an unpaid leave of absence as provided for by section 219 (5) of the Education Act, 1990, as amended, and section 30 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996;
a judge of any court;
a member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination;
a member of the Executive Council of Ontario or a federal Minister of the Crown;
individuals prohibited from voting in the municipal election under subsection 17(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, as amended;
a former candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in the last municipal election.

2022 Election Reports and Documentation

2014-2018 Election Reports and Documentation