Municipal elections with the City of Burlington are happening this year — this is your opportunity to choose who makes key decisions for you and your city. Find out key information for voters, candidates, and updated ward boundaries.
The next municipal election is Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.
Elections for municipal government are held every four years in Ontario. The City Clerk is appointed the Municipal Returning Officer by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and is responsible for running municipal elections. With nearly 60% of Canada’s core infrastructure owned, operated, and maintained by municipalities like Burlington, your vote truly matters.In October 2026, eligible voters in Burlington will vote to elect the:
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Mayor of Burlington (1)
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Six members of Burlington City Council (1 in each ward)
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Regional Chair of Halton Region (1)
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School Board Trustee(s)
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Vote for trustees in one of four school boards, based on your school support. Choose from:
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Halton Catholic District School Board
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Halton District School Board
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Conseil scolaire Viamonde
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Conseil scolaire catholique Mon Avenir
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The Mayor and City Councillors also represent you on Halton Regional Council.
Get ready to vote in October
Check if you are on the voters list
Being registered on the voters list makes in-person voting faster and ensures you receive a voter information letter, needed if voting online. The letter also tells you which candidates you can vote for and directs you to your in-person voting locations.
Visit Register to Vote to confirm if you are on the voters list and/or make changes to your information, up to Aug. 12, 2026.
Update your school support
Voters will have a chance to vote for a school board trustee in one of four school boards, based on your school support. To update your school support, visit the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s online School Support Tool.
Note: As a property owner in Ontario, you are required to support a school system, even if you do not have children, or your children are not currently attending school. This information can be found on your Property Assessment Notice. Property owners who do not make a selection will have their support default to the English-Public school board. Learn more about school support by visiting Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).
Check if you are eligible to vote
Are you:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18 years old
- live in Burlington (own or rent), or
- don’t live in Burlington, but you or your spouse own or rent property in Burlington
- Not prohibited from voting under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, or otherwise by law
Pick your preferred voting option and date
There are three ways to vote in the upcoming election:
- Online, using Internet voting, from Oct. 14 to 23, 2026
- In person at advance polls, on Oct. 17 and 20, 2026
- In person on election day, Oct. 26, 2026.
Burlington’s New Ward Boundaries
In May 2025, City Council passed bylaw 030-2025 to make minor changes to Burlington’s ward structure. The new City of Burlington ward boundaries will be used for the 2026 municipal election and officially come into effect on Nov. 15, 2026, the start of the new Council term.
The new ward structure impacts Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4. View the new ward structure [link to PDF of map]. The minor changes to Burlington’s ward boundaries include:
- The community in north Tyandaga will move from Ward 1 to Ward 3
- The Leighland community will move from Ward 2 to Ward 1
- The Palmer community will move from Ward 4 to Ward 3
- The Maple Beach community will move from Ward 1 to Ward 2
The new ward structure will accommodate growth and population shifts for the next three municipal elections. It also aims to help ensure voters are represented equally in decision-making, no matter where they live in the city.
Learn more about the Council Composition and Ward Boundary Review.
Run as a candidate
To run as a candidate in Burlington’s 2026 municipal election, you must file your nomination papers between May 1, 2026 and 2 p.m. on Aug. 21, 2026 with the City Clerk, at City Hall, located at 426 Brant St.
Nominations can be filed during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) by appointment only. Appointments can be made by contacting 905-335-7777 or email the Clerks Department at clerks@burlington.ca.
When you come for your appointment to file your nomination papers, the following must be submitted:
- Nomination Paper – Form 1 (available from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing after April 1)
- Endorsement of Nomination – Form 2 (available from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing after April 1)
- Only for nominations of an office on council.
- A nomination for an office on council must be endorsed by at least 25 eligible electors. A prescribed declaration is required by each of the electors endorsing a nomination.
- Filing fee of $200 for the office of mayor, or $100 for all other offices (payable by cash, certified, cheque, money order to the City of Burlington, MasterCard or Visa)
- Candidate identification (driver’s license or other government-issued photo identification)
- Candidate identification that confirms citizenship (Canadian passport, birth certificate or citizenship card)
Candidate guides and forms, including the nomination papers, will be available in April. You cannot begin campaigning until your nomination papers are filed.
Information session
Individuals interested in running for Mayor, Regional Chair, Local or Regional Councillor in any Halton Region municipality this October are invited to register for a virtual information session on April 21, 2026, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., hosted by Halton municipalities.
The session, titled “Thinking about running for Council?” is designed to provide a realistic look at life in public office, and will feature presentations from John Mascarin, a leading municipal solicitor, and Kelly Linton, a government change specialist and former elected official. Learn more.
To qualify as a candidate, you must be:
- A Canadian citizen
- At least 18 years old
- A resident in the City of Burlington
- A non-resident of Burlington and you or your spouse own or rent property in the city.
You do not qualify to run as a candidate for Mayor or Council if you:
- Are serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution
- Are a corporation
- Are acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity
- Were convicted of a corrupt practice described in Municipal Elections Act, 1996, less than five years ago
- An employee of a municipality, unless he or she takes an unpaid leave of absence before being nominated, and resigns if elected to the office
- A judge of any court
- A member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a Senator or a member of the House of Commons
- A person who by reason of any violations of the election campaign financial requirements or violations for not filling the financial statements pursuant to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
To file your nomination papers, you’ll have to provide identification that shows your name and qualifying address. You must also sign a declaration affirming that you are eligible to run.
Candidate information sessions will be offered starting in April. More information will be available in March.
Visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for additional information on municipal elections.
For those interested in running as a school board trustee, contact your school board for more information.
| Official 2022 Municipal Election Results |
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The official election results for Burlington’s 2022 municipal election have been declared by the City Clerk. The Burlington 2022 Municipal Election had a 27.6% voter turnout with 39,217 ballots cast out of 142,218 eligible voters. 14,980 electors cast their ballots online; 4,018 voted at in-person advance poll locations, and 20,219 cast their vote on election day. View the official 2022 election results View the results by voting location The four-year term of office for the elected representatives is Nov. 15, 2022 to Nov. 14, 2026. |
| Candidate Financials |
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Candidates are responsible for keeping records of the financial activities related to their campaign. Candidates are required to file a Financial Statement – Form 4 for each campaign showing financial activity from the day the nomination paper is filed until the end of the campaign period. Candidates who have withdrawn will still be required to complete a financial statement showing financial activity from the day the nomination paper is filed until the day their withdrawal is filed. For candidates who raised or spent more than $10,000, their financial statement must be audited by a licensed auditor under the Public Accounting Act, 2004. Financial statements are public documents and are posted on the City’s Open Data platform in their entirety, including the names and addresses of all those who contributed over $100. The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 requires the City Clerk to make a copy of the financial statements publicly available. The financial statements are scanned and therefore are not accessible to screen readers, however the Office of the City Clerk will provide the information in an alternate format upon request. |
| Compliance Audit |
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If an eligible elector believes a candidate has broken election finance rules, they may apply for a compliance audit of their campaign finances. The application must set out reasons why they believe the candidate contravened the rules. The application for a compliance audit must be submitted to the City Clerk within 90 days of the deadline to file a financial statement. A joint compliance audit committee will decide whether to grant or reject the application. An elector may appeal the committee’s decision to the Superior Court of Justice within 15 days of their decision. |