EDITORIAL: Cobourg, Port Hope residents make voices heard during 2026 election
By West Northumberland Independent staff
From the water that comes out of the tap each morning to the sidewalk that leads into town, residents experience daily how their local municipalities are using their hard-earned dollars.
While municipal elections typically garner less attention and engagement than their provincial and federal counterparts, the politics and services closest to home have the most impact on residents’ day-to-day lives.
However, this round, during the 2026 municipal and school board election on Monday (Oct. 26), voters in the Town of Cobourg sent the message loud and clear that local governments’ responsibilities – and who will represent them at town hall – actually really matters.
In particular, The Town of Cobourg had 19,439 eligible electors and the voter turnout was 51.1 per cent. These were some big numbers for elections. We look at 51.1 per cent and perhaps some think we still could have done better.
But while final data is still being compiled, it’s looking like provincewide municipal elections drew an average of 36 per cent of eligible voters. So local communities were still punching well above this figure.
“Seeing (voter) turnout over 50 per cent shows that we had an invested future, we had an invested electorate, and people wanting to see a future for Cobourg and want to have a say in it,” said re-elected Town of Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland after the results poured in.
Following the election, Cobourg’s municipal clerk explained that the last time the town had similar numbers was in 2014, with a voter turnout rate of 52.4 per cent, but with 7,704 ballots cast.
The 2026 election resulted in the most ballots cast in any election for Cobourg ever, with 9,939 electors having their say.
With its 51.1 per cent voter turnout, Cobourg soared above its neighbouring communities. Across the county, Brighton previously held the top honour of highest turnout in 2022, with more than 46 per cent. This time around, the municipality dropped slightly to about 42 per cent.
In terms of voter turnout in Port Hope, the community reached 43.3 per cent, said Shrishma Davé, returning officer/clerk for the Municipality of Port Hope.
This means Port Hope also just inched past 2022 figures. But looking back a little further, turnout hovered around 45 per cent in 2018 and in 2014, it was reported at nearly 50 per cent.
According to the municipality, this year’s election included 16,300 eligible electors, with 7,061 casting ballots and 30 who declined their ballots.
In Cobourg, the higher turnout rate has been said to be reflective of some candidates’ campaigns and/or a co-ordinated effort by the town to encourage residents to cast their ballots. For either one or for both reasons, a good portion of residents embraced their civic duties.
Taking the time to vote is important and a higher turnout rate is great news for Cobourg and Port Hope.
And these communities weren’t alone. The Township of Alnwick/Haldimand also reached about 37.9 per cent of voters in comparison to 35.2 per cent in 2022. Again, punching above the current estimated provincial average. All of these communities also had a large number of candidates running.
The Township of Hamilton had a little bit of a tougher time, with its turnout dropping to 23.7 per cent from 27.1 per cent in comparison to the last election. However, one component is likely that there were fewer candidates running, and two of five successful candidates were acclaimed.
Back to the importance of voting numbers, it shows residents care about their community and who is charged with representing them.
However, as the days pass following the election, staying engaged matters even more. Residents can, and should, continue to voice their opinions and raise their concerns by keeping an eye on their local politicians, on council agendas, and on meeting dates. Attend a meeting at town hall. Tune in on Zoom. Make a delegation. Find out what’s going on as it happens.
Stay engaged and help shape the daily decisions that make west Northumberland home.
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