The regional election roundup

By Dan Rolph

With the end of the nomination period for candidates in the upcoming municipal elections approaching, residents looking to represent their communities are stepping forward to serve on local councils.

Here’s what you need to know as the races start to take shape before nominations close in August.

The following information was current as of June 30, 2026, when the Exeter Examiner went to press.

The basics

Ontario’s upcoming municipal election will take place on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, where local councils will be chosen by voters in municipalities across the province. However, advance voting will open earlier depending on the municipality, with some communities opening their voting as early as Oct. 13.

Locally, residents will directly vote for councillors to represent the ward they reside in, while also voting for their favoured candidates for mayor and deputy mayor.

In Huron, Lambton and Middlesex counties, those elected as mayor and deputy mayor will go on to serve as county councillors as well.

This upcoming election is the first to be held since the provincial government introduced “Strong Mayor Powers” to many municipalities across Ontario. The powers give the head of council more sway in budgetary considerations, further authority over municipal staff and veto powers over by-laws. The province cited a push to streamline the process of approving new housing and infrastructure developments as a reason for the powers.

Though these powers haven’t been introduced in every community in Ontario, local municipalities including South Huron, Lambton Shores and Bluewater saw them implemented in 2025, putting a greater emphasis on the mayoral races in those areas in the upcoming election.

Candidates have until Aug. 21, 2026, to submit their papers to run in the next election, and the next council term will begin Nov. 15, 2026.

Registration and voting

Voters in municipalities across Ontario can ensure they are registered to vote by visiting registertovoteon.ca or by calling 1-866-242-3025.

Voting is widely handled online throughout the region, though municipalities have previously organized in-person help kiosks in community spaces for those who need assistance navigating the online voting process. More information on those will be available closer to the election date.

In rural elections, it is common for some races to see only a single candidate enter the running. When this happens, that candidate is elected by acclimation, meaning they will win their election by default since they are running unopposed, negating the need for a ballot.

South Huron

The race in South Huron is already looking like it will be highly contested.

The campaign to be the next mayor is shaping up to be a three-way race with current Mayor George Finch set to seek a third term. Former mayor Maureen Cole is back in the running after losing to Finch in 2022, and current Ward 3 (Usborne) councillor Ted Oke is entering the mayoral race for the first time.

For the Deputy Mayor position, incumbent Jim Dietrich is seeking re-election to serve another four years in the role and remains the only one to put his name forward for the position.

In Ward 1 (Stephen), where two councillors will be elected, incumbent Marissa Vaughan is seeking re-election, while Patricia Desjardine-Soer will also be on the ballot. Current Ward 2 councillor Wendy McLeod-Haggit is also looking to shift locales and is seeking to become a representative for Ward 1, moving away from the Exeter ward where she was appointed to replace former councillor Marc Denomme after his resignation in 2023.

In Ward 2 (Exeter), which will also elect two representatives, current councillor Aaron Neeb is seeking re-election, while Daryl Demaray and Antonio Munion will also be on the ballot.

Lucan Biddulph

With Mayor Cathy Burghardt-Jesson announcing she won’t seek another term as head of council, the next council in Lucan Biddulph is already set to see some changes.

Deputy Mayor Dave Manders is looking to become the next person to serve as mayor of the municipality. Manders has served four terms on council, including two as deputy mayor.

As well, current Ward 1 councillor Daniel Regan is pursuing the deputy mayor role after serving two terms as a councillor.

In Ward 3, Alex Westman will be seeking re-election to represent Granton, while Bryan Frank Malito has put his name forward to represent Ward 1.

Bluewater

The mayoral race in Bluewater will once again place two familiar candidates on the ballot.

Incumbent Paul Klopp is seeking re-election to serve as the head of council, while former mayor and current Hay West councillor Tyler Hessel has put his name forward in that race. Hessel was first elected mayor in 2014 when he ran in a four-way race that also included Klopp. The two then went head-to-head in 2018, when Klopp won that election with 60 per cent of the vote. Klopp unopposed in the 2022 election and won by acclamation.

Current Bayfield councillor Bill Whetstone is seeking a new role in the next council and will be running for the deputy mayor position. Whetstone was acclaimed twice as the Bayfield representative on council in both the 2018 and 2022 elections.

In Bayfield, Michael DeCorte has put his name forward to run as a councillor, while Brian Heagle has entered the running to represent Hay West.

Three currently serving councillors, Peter Walden, Winona Sangster and Greg Lamport, have submitted their papers to represent Stanley East, Zurich and Stanley West respectively.

Lambton Shores

Mayor Doug Cook will be seeking re-election as mayor and remains the sole candidate to put his name forward for the position. Cook was first elected as mayor in 2022 and previously served two terms as deputy mayor.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Dan Sageman is the only candidate to submit his nomination papers so far in Lambton Shores, seeking re-election. Sageman represented Ward 2 as a councillor before running to become deputy mayor in 2022, handily winning that election when he ran against Terri Lynn Legault and Barry Balcom.

In the councillor races, Ward 6 councillor Dave Marsh remains the only currently serving councillor to submit his name for re-election. In Ward 5, Suzanne Shea will be looking to represent the community, while David Pugh will be on the ballot in Ward 4.