Elections

ELECTIONS 2026

Municipal Election - Upcoming Dates

October 8th 7pm-9pm - Meet the Candidates Night - Rainy River Rec Centre

October 17th 12pm-5pm - Advance Polls

October 26th 10am-8pm - Regular Polls
 
 
Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October. The length of term for municipal elected officials is four years. The current term started in 2022 and ends in 2026. 
 
In municipal elections in Ontario, unlike other levels of government, candidates are not elected to represent a political party. 
 
Eligible voters for municipal elections must be: 
  • A Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old
  • A resident OR a property owner or tenant OR the spouse of an owner or tenant in the municipality
Eligible candidates for municipal elections must be:
  • A Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old 
  • A resident of the municipality, a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such non-resident owner or tenant
  • Not legally prohibited from voting; and not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.
 
 
Check if you're on the Voters List at Elections Ontario

Form EL07

LIST OF CERTIFIED CANDIDATES[1]

Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s.11(4)2

 

NOTICE is hereby given to the Municipal Electors of the

 

TOWN OF RAINY RIVER

 

That during the period commencing on May 1, 2026 and completed on Nomination Day, August 21, 2026, the following persons filed all necessary papers, declarations and fees and as Clerk, I am satisfied that such persons are qualified and that their Nominations satisfy the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. I have, therefore, certified such candidates for the office, which follows their respective name:

 

 

NAME OF CANDIDATE

OFFICE

Deborah Julie Ewald

Mayor

Andrew Hartnell

Mayor

 

 

Rebecca Brooks

Councillor

Joel Hagarty

Councillor

Lindsay Logsdon

Councillor

Jeffrey C. Marchuk

Councillor

Florence Joan Newman

Councillor

Scott Olson

Councillor

Gordon Prost

Councillor

Dana Tait

Councillor

Anthony Venables

Councillor

 

 

David Allan Sharp

School Board – English Seperate

 

 

 

 

Dated this 21st day of August, 2026

 

                                                                                    Shara Lavallee, CMO

_____________________________      

  Municipal Clerk or designate

 

DECLARATION OF ACCLAMATION TO OFFICE

Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s. 37(1)

 

 

I hereby declare the certified candidates listed below to be acclaimed to the office that follows their respective names pursuant to Section 37 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996:

 

Name of Certified Candidate

Office

David Sharp

School Board Trustee

Our Lady of the Way (OLW) - Stratton

Northwest Catholic District School Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated this 26th day of August, 2026.

 

 

 

Shara Lavallee, Town of Rainy River

_____________________________

  Municipal Clerk or designate

NOTICE OF ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS

Municipal Elections Act, 1996, s.33(5)

 

Take Notice that the number of candidates for the office of School Board Trustee was not sufficient to fill the number of vacancies to which candidates may be elected.

And Further Take Notice that the Clerk may receive and certify additional nominations for the remaining vacancies in the Clerk’s Office between the hours of 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on August 26, 2026, subject to the provisions of Subsection 33(5) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.

Offices for Which Persons May be Nominated:

Rainy River District School Board (Rainy River)      1 to be elected.

 

(Office)                                                                                   (Number)

And Further Take Notice that the manner in which nominations shall be filed is set forth in Section 33 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.  Nomination forms and full particulars of procedures to be followed may be obtained from the undersigned.

 

Dated this 24 day of August, 2026.

Shara Lavallee

Municipal Clerk or Designate


Voter Information

The Voters List revision period begins September 1, 2026. Residents will need to show ID with name and address when voting. A full list of acceptable ID will be available on our website.

Elections Ontario will deliver the Preliminary List of Electors to municipalities in August, and we’ll share reminders for residents to check their information.

ELECTIONS 2022:

Resources

 

  • Municipal Elections Act

  • The forms and guides for the 2026 Municipal Election have been updated by the province.

    Forms

    The updated Provincial forms for the 2026 Municipal Election are listed below and can be accessed here(External link).

    • Form 1 - Nomination Paper
    • Form 2 - Endorsement Of Nomination
    • Form 3 - Appointment For Voting Proxy
    • Form 4 - Financial Statement Auditor's Report Candidate
    • Form 5 - Financial Statement Subsequent Expenses
    • Form 6 - Notice Of Extension Of Campaign Period
    • Form 7 - Notice Of Registration Third Party
    • Form 8 - Auditor's Report Third Party
    • Form 9 - Declaration Of Identity

    Troubleshooting PDF Forms

    If you experience issues opening a form in a web browser (e.g., Chrome), please follow these steps:

    • Download the form and select “Save link as” to save it to your desktop.
    • Open the saved form directly with Adobe Acrobat Reader (do not open in a browser).
    • If the above steps do not work, you can access the forms directly from the Ontario Central Forms Repository here(External link)

    • Guides

      The updated Provincial guides for the 2026 Municipal Election are listed below and can be accessed here(External link).

      • 2026 Candidates Guide
      • 2026 Voters Guide
      • 2026 Third Party Advertisers Guide