Thinking of running in the 2026 Municipal Election?

Thinking of running in the 2026 Municipal Election? Don't miss the Candidates Information Night on Wednesday, April 29 at 6 p.m.

Niagara residents interested interested in running in the 2026 Municipal Election should attend the Candidates Information Night, hosted by the City of Welland on behalf of all Niagara municipalities, at the Welland Community Centre (145 Lincoln Street, Welland). The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will outline what candidates can expect and how to prepare for the upcoming election.

Doors open at 5 p.m. The information session begins at 6 p.m.

Why not you?

Too many people who want to serve assume they don’t have the resume required to lead locally. Serving your community isn't about what you've done, it's about who you are. If you're considering whether running for local leadership is right for you, or you're ready to run and could use information about campaigning, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) can help connect you to the right resources.

AMO is a non-partisan, non-profit organization representing Ontario’s 444 municipalities and provides municipal officials with tools to succeed, and programs to help maximize taxpayer dollars.

Through it's If You Believe They Believe campaign AMO's offers guides to running for municipal council, online courses teaching the fundamentals of campaign strategy, events and webinars and more resources for every step of the journey through to help anyone get started. Visit whenyoubelieve.ca to learn more.

Nominations open May 1

Candidates can register for nominations starting May 1. To file a nomination, you must provide:

• nomination paper
• declaration of qualifications
• at least 25 declarations of endorsement 
• ID
• the nomination filing fee ($200 for Mayor and $100 for other positions)

A person cannot raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have filed the nomination paper.

More information on becoming a candidate and the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election in St. Catharines at stcatharines.ca/elections.