2026 Elections

2026 Municipal Election

The Township of Marathon's next Municipal and School Board Election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026.

This is when Marathon voters choose:

Mayor: Provides Leadership to Council and represents the Town of Marathon.
Councillors: Work collectively to make decisions and pass local by-laws.
School Board Trustees: Make decisions about your local education and school board governance.

Key Dates

Nomination Period Begins: Friday, May 1, 2026.
Nomination Day (Deadline) : Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
Advance Voting Days: To Be Determined.
Election Day: Monday, October 26, 2026.

How you Can Participate

As a Voter
You are eligible to vote in the Marathon municipal election if, on voting day, you are:

A Canadian citizen.
At least 18 years of age.
A resident of Marathon, or,
A property owner of tenant of Marathon, or,
The spouse of a property owner or tenant in Marathon.

Your name must be on the Voter's List in order to cast a ballot.

Voters list

Election's Ontario maintains the Permanent Register of Electors for Ontario, commonly known as the Voter's List. This list is used for provincial and municipal elections.

You can confirm, update or add your information using Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration application if you:

Have changed your name or address.
Own or rent a new property.
No longer own or rent a property.
Want to remove your information from the Register or Voters List.

Register today by visiting RegisterToVoteON.ca or call 1-866-242-3025.
You may also update your information at a voting location up to and including voting day. Identification may be required.

Voting in Multiple Municipal Elections

If you and your spouse own or rent property in more than on municipality, you may be eligible to vote in multiple municipal elections.

Students attending school away from home may also be eligible to vote in more than one municipality, provided eligibility requirements are met.

For more information on updating your voter registration, removing a deceased person from the Register, or joining the Register of Future Voters, visit the Elections Ontario website.

School Support Designation

Property owners in Ontario must designate support for a school system, even if they do not have children or their children do not attend school. This designation appears on your Property Assessment Notice.

As of January 1, 2024, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for municipal elections. However, MPAC is required to collect school support information.

You can update your school support designation through MPAC’s Online School Support Tool. To learn more about school support, visit the MPAC website.

Learn More

AMO’s Healthy Democracy Leaders Online Workshop Series: Stronger Leaders, Stronger Communities - Free Workshops available in two streams - Stream 1 preparing for re-election and Stream 2 members considering to run for elected office.

More information will be available here as the election gets closer. You'll find:

Voting day and location information.
How to register or update your information.
Candidate nomination forms.
Election guides and help documents.
Contact information for the local election office.

Candidate Eligibility (Mayor or Councillor)

To be eligible as a candidate for Mayor or Councillor in Marathon, you must:

Be a Canadian citizen.
Be at least 18 years old.
Be a resident of Marathon, or an owner or tenant of land in Marathon, or the spouse of such an owner or tenant.
Not be legally prohibited from voting.
Not be disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

School Board Trustee

To be eligible as a School Board Trustee, you must:

Be a Canadian citizen.
Be at least 18 years old.
Be a resident within the jurisdiction of the school board.
Not be legally prohibited from voting.
Not be disqualified by legislation.

Certain positions, including municipal clerks, treasurers, and school board employees, are subject to additional restrictions or leave-of-absence requirements.

Nomination Information

Nominations open: May 1, 2026
Nomination deadline: August 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

Candidates may withdraw or change the office they are running for up to the nomination deadline.

Campaigning may begin only after a complete nomination package has been filed with the Clerk.
The Municipal Elections Act prohibits campaigning prior to filing nomination papers.
Municipal corporate resources may not be used for campaign purposes.

Filing Fees (Refundable)

Mayor: $200
Councillor or School Board Trustee: $100

Fees are refunded if the campaign financial statement is filed by the required deadline.

Contribution Rules

Only individuals may contribute to candidates.
Corporations and trade unions may not contribute.
Maximum contribution per candidate: $1,200.
Maximum total contribution to candidates on the same council: $5,000.
Candidates and their spouses are subject to additional contribution limits set out in legislation.

Financial Statements

All candidates must file a campaign financial statement, even if they incur no expenses.

Failure to file by the deadline may result in penalties, including forfeiture of office if elected.

Election signage must comply with the Township of Marathon’s Sign By-law.

Signs may not be placed on municipal property.
Permission is required from property owners.
Non-compliant signs may be removed by Township staff.

More details will be included in the Candidate Information Package.

Certified candidates may request a copy of the Voters’ List in September 2026.

The list will be updated regularly throughout the voting period.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available, including:

Voting locations and hours.
Advance voting details.
Candidate nomination forms.
Election guides and FAQs.
Contact information for the Municipal Election Office.