The next municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026. See who can vote, how to get on the voters' list, and choose school board support.
Who can vote
You can vote in Kenora's municipal election if you are:
- A Canadian citizen, and
- At least 18 years old, and
- Live in Kenora, or you (or your spouse) own or rent property here, and
- Not prevented from voting by any law
Types of voters
Resident - If you live in Kenora, you can vote here. It doesn't matter if you own, rent, live with others and don't pay rent, or don't have a fixed address - you're still eligible. Even if you or your spouse owns or rents more than one property, you have to vote in the district where you live.
Non-resident - If you live in one place but own or rent property somewhere else (like Kenora), you can vote in both places. You can only be a 'resident elector' in one municipality, but you can be a 'non-resident elector' in any other place where you own or rent property.
Spouse of non-resident - If your spouse can vote in Kenora as a non-resident elector, you can vote here too.
Note: You or your spouse do not qualify as a non-resident elector if you don't own or rent property in Kenora. For example, if your business owns the property or your cottage is owned by a trust, you can't vote in the municipal election.
Who cannot vote
You can't vote in Kenora's municipal election if you are:
- Serving a jail or prison sentence
- A corporation
- Acting as an executor, trustee, or in another role for someone else (unless you're a voting proxy)
- Someone convicted of corrupt practices as described in section 90(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996
Post-secondary students
If you're a student living away from home for school, you are considered a non-resident voter and can vote in both your home community (where you usually live and plan to return) and the city where you live while at school.
If you're a student living in Kenora and can't vote in person, you can ask someone else to vote on your behalf as your proxy.
Voters' list
The Voters' List is a list of people who can vote in the City of Kenora election. Elections Ontario gives the City an early version of this list, and then the City Clerk updates it to make sure it's correct.
Elections Ontario is responsible for collecting voter information and preparing the votes list for provincial, municipal, district social services administration board, and school board elections in Ontario. You can visit Elections Ontario to update your information before the next municipal election. You will need to provide proof of identity and eligibility to vote.
Find out more about confirming and updating your information at Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration service.
To vote easily, make sure your name is on the Voters' List. You can check this with Elections Ontario's Register to Vote tool. If you're on the list, you'll get a Voter Information Letter before Election Day, with details for voting in person or online. If you're not on the list, you can apply to have your name added until August 13, 2026.
Starting September 1, 2026, you can update your info on the Voters' List by contacting the City's Office of the Clerk/Returning Officer. More details will be provided at that time.
School board support
You can vote for one of four school board trustees during the municipal election:
- English public
- English separate (Catholic)
- French separate (Catholic)
The default school board for electors is the English public board.
Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for collecting information about school support. To update your school support information, visit MPAC’s online School Support tool.
School support designation helps property owners and tenants identify which school board they wish to support during school board elections and ensures that school support funding is directed to the appropriate board. By default, and as required by provincial legislation, school support is assigned to the English Public school board.
Your current designation can be found on your Property Assessment Notice. As a property owner in Ontario, you must support one of the school boards, even if you do not have children.
To learn more or to update your school support preference, please visit mpac.ca/schoolsupport.
Voter information letter
Everyone on the Voters' List will receive a Voter Information Letter (VIL) by mail. Your letter tells you when to vote, and gives you a voter ID number for online voting. Bring your VIL with you to vote and a piece of identification to help things go faster.
