Frequently asked questions about the 2026 Municipal Election

The online voting portal will be open from 10:00 a.m. on October 9, 2026, to 8:00 p.m. on October 23, 2026.

Voting Day for the Municipal Election is Monday, October 26, 2026. Polls will open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. 

During the online advanced voting period, Norfolk County will have several in-person Help Centres set up to assist with online voting. There will also be an opportunity at these locations to vote using paper ballots as an advance voting option. 

New this year to Norfolk County, voters will have the opportunity to vote during the advance online voting period from October 9 to October 23, 2026. Residents can take advantage and avoid the election day line-ups by voting online in Norfolk County this year. Online voting enables electors to cast their ballots from a computer or mobile device anywhere over the internet during the designated advanced voting period. 

During the online advanced voting period, Norfolk County will have several in-person Help Centres set up to assist with online voting. There will also be an opportunity at these locations to vote using paper ballots as an advance voting option. 

All Norfolk County voters will also have the opportunity to cast their vote in person on Election Day, October 26, 2026.

The online voting portal will be open from 10:00 a.m. on October 9, 2026, to 8:00 p.m. on October 23, 2026. Residents can take advantage and avoid the election day line-ups by voting online in Norfolk County this year. Online voting enables electors to cast their ballots from a computer or mobile device anywhere over the internet during the designated advanced voting period.

Help Centres for Online Voting will be available at the following locations:

Polling station locations for each Ward in Norfolk County will be held at the following locations:

Review the list of acceptable identification.

Review Norfolk County Ward maps on our website. 

The nomination period for the 2026 municipal election begins May 1, 2026. A list of candidates who have filed their nomination papers can be found on the Norfolk County election website. If you wish to contact one of these candidates, you can visit the Candidate Contact Information on our Voters Resources page. 

The list of certified candidates for the 2026 Municipal Election will be available following Certification Day on Monday, August 24, 2026. 

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is required by legislation to collect school support information. You can update your school support designation through MPAC.

Homeowners and tenants should review their school support designations, and if needed, update them by June 1, 2026, to be accurately included on the Preliminary List of Electors ahead of the municipal and school board elections on October 26, 2026. 

Read more about school support designation.

Yes. They can vote in both their “home” residence if they return there, and if they live away from home where they attend school, they can also vote in that municipality. 

Students can also take advantage of the new Online Voting in Norfolk County this year. Online voting enables electors to cast their ballots from a computer or mobile device anywhere over the internet during the designated advanced voting period. 

Yes. Please see the rules for no permanent lodging as described below: 

1. The place to which the person most frequently returned to sleep or eat during the five weeks preceding the determination is their residence. 
2. If the person returns with equal frequency to one place to sleep and to another to eat, the place to which they return to sleep is their residence. 
3. Multiple returns to the same place during a single day, whether to eat or to sleep, shall be considered one return. 
4. A person’s declaration regarding the places to which they returned to eat or sleep during a given time period is conclusive, in the absence of evidence to the contrary.  

Thank you for your interest in working the 2026 Municipal Election! We are still finalizing some details for the election, such as polling locations. We will be focusing on staffing the election late this summer. Please monitor our election website for job postings.

Thinking about running for office? Review candidate information, forms, and resources from various organizations. Read more about running as a candidate. 

If you plan on running as a candidate in a Norfolk County municipal election, you must book an appointment and file candidate nomination forms with the Norfolk County Clerk. 

Appointments are available from May 1, 2026, to August 20, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
Nomination forms will not be accepted after 2:00 p.m. on August 21, 2026. 

To book your appointment, contact: 

Norfolk County Office of the County Clerk
50 Colborne Street South 
Simcoe, Ontario
N3Y 4H3

Phone: 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK, extension 6269

Email: elections@norfolkcounty.ca

If a candidate decides to withdraw from the election, he or she must file a Withdrawal of Nomination Form, in person with the County Clerk's Office, no later than 2 p.m. on nomination day, Friday, August 21, 2026.

A candidate who withdraws is still required to submit a completed financial statement covering all financial transactions made up to the date the nomination was withdrawn. 

Your campaign period starts on the day you file your nomination and ends on December 31, 2026. As a reminder, you must save records of all expenses incurred and contributions made related to your campaign.

A candidate can run for office in the ward of their choice.  You do not have to live in the same ward you are running in.  However, you do have to vote from the address at which you reside.

Candidates will receive Preliminary Expense Amounts for the 2026 Municipal Election during their nomination meeting. Campaign expenses cannot be incurred before a candidate has filed their nomination papers with the County Clerk. Each candidate will receive a notification of the eligible amount they can spend based on the 2022 electoral counts when they file a nomination paper.

A subsequent calculation based on 2026 electoral counts will be issued in September. The greater of the two shall be the final amount used for the purposes of the 2026 election. 

Yes, you can! Placing election signs is defined in the County of Norfolk's Election Sign By-law. To place an election sign, you must be a registered candidate for the 2026 Municipal and School Board election.

Signs may be displayed starting 30 days before Election Day at 12:00 p.m. and shall be removed no later than 7 days after the election is completed.