Voter Information | Trent Lakes

The Municipality of Trent Lakes holds an election every four years. Find out if you're eligible to vote, how to register to vote and more about the 2026 municipal election. Find out who is running in the election, learn more about Candidates and Third Party Advertisers and read the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Voters' Guide.

Voter Eligibility

You can cast a ballot in the Municipality of Trent Lakes if you're:

a Canadian citizen;
at least 18 years old on Voting Day (October 26, 2026);
a Trent Lakes resident or an owner or tenant of land in Trent Lakes (or the spouse of such owner or tenant); and
not prohibited by law from voting.

You may only vote once in the Municipality of Trent Lakes Municipal and School Board Election, regardless of how many properties your own or rent within the Municipality. If you live in the Municipality and own or rent more than one property, you must vote in the ward where you live. You may also vote in multiple Municipal Elections if you own property outside of the Municipality of Trent Lakes. You may only vote once for school board purposes in the municipality that you live in.

Register to Vote

Elections Ontario now maintains the Voters' List for both Municipal and Provincial elections, all in one place. Visit Elections Ontario's Voter Registration to check if you are on the Voters' List or to register to vote.

Register to Vote

Other Considerations

Trailer Parks

Trailer owners in campgrounds are tenants of the campground and may be eligible to vote in the Municipal Election. You are an eligible elector as a person who owns a trailer in a campground if you are either:

Entitled to use the land on Voting Day (October 26, 2026); or
Entitled to use the land for a period of six weeks or more during the calendar year in which the election is held.

Check Your School Support

Whether you own or rent your home, your property is linked to a school board – even if you don’t have children or your children aren’t currently attending school. While you’re not required to make a designation, you do have the option to choose which school board you support. If you don’t make a choice, your support will default to the English-Public school board.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) collects school support information. To learn more about school support, visit MPACs website. Property owners, occupants, and tenants can update their school support designation online using the school support designation tool.

Information about Candidates

Find out who is running in the 2026 municipal election by visiting our Unofficial List of Candidates page. This page will be updated after Nomination Day (August 21, 2026) with the List of Certified Candidates after the Clerk certifies or rejects the nominations.

The municipality cannot host all candidates meetings or debates in order to maintain political neutrality during the Municipal Election.

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 does not require candidate meetings or debates to be held, and the municipal clerk is not responsible for hosting or organizing meetings or debates. Meetings or debates may be organized by community groups, media outlets, candidates or any other interested persons. They may establish criteria for who will participate at their own discretion.

The Municipality will post information they receive about all candidates meetings and debates hosted or organized by community groups, media outlets, candidates or any other interested persons below.

All Candidates Meetings

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Where: Cavendish Community Centre, 32 Community Complex Dr

Contact: ccraimail@gmail.com

How to Vote

Trent Lakes will be using internet/telephone and paper ballot voting methods for the 2026 Municipal Election.

Internet and telephone voting provides a secure, convenient and simple way to cast your vote from anywhere if you have access to the internet or a phone. Paper ballot voting using a tabulator will be provided at the Municipal Office on specific dates.

Advanced voting will open on Tuesday, October 13 and you can vote through to Voting Day on Monday, October 26.

Internet/Telephone Voting

If you are on the Voters' List, you will receive a Voter Information Letter in the mail (late September or early October). This letter contains the information you need to cast your ballot using internet or telephone voting. Make sure to hold on to the Voting Information Letter in a safe place until voting opens on October 13 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available 24/7 until the close of voting on October 26 (Voting Day) at 8:00 p.m.

Paper Ballot Voting

Paper Ballot voting with tabulators will be available at the Municipal Office during the following dates and times:

October 23 to October 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
October 26 (Voting Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Election Accessibility

The Municipality of Trent Lakes is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for people with disabilities. The 2026 Municipal Election Accessibility Plan is intended to support and strengthen the Municipality’s commitment to the identification, removal and prevention of barriers that may affect electors and candidates with disabilities throughout the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election.

If you need more information, or have any questions or concerns, please contact us. We are here to help.

Campaign Contributions

Any individual who is normally a resident in Ontario is able to make a contribution to a candidate's campaign or to a third party advertiser. Contributions are any money, goods, or services that are given to a candidate for their campaign or to a third party advertiser.

The maximum allowable donation to any one candidate or third party advertiser is $1,200.00. Any donation above $25.00 must not be made in cash. The name and address of every contributor who makes a donation above $100.00 must be recorded on the candidate's or third party advertiser's Financial Statement. These Financial Statements will be made public on the Municipality's website following the election.

Contributors are not allowed to make contributions exceeding a total of $5,000.00 to two or more candidates for office on the same Council, the local school board, or third party advertisers.