Voting in the 2026 St. Thomas municipal election opened at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13th. It stays open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. on Monday, October 26th. This election is by internet and telephone only, so you can vote from home, from work, or from wherever you happen to be.
The City says the last seat on council in 2022 came down to just five votes: 3,101 for the candidate who finished eighth and won, and 3,096 for the one who finished ninth. Your vote counts.
How to vote. Find your Voter Information Letter. It has your personal identification number (PIN), plus the web address and phone number you use to vote. Enter your PIN and your date of birth, and you are in. You can vote for one mayor and up to eight councillors, and English Catholic school supporters also choose one school board trustee. You can check your choices before you submit, and you get a receipt once your vote is cast. LocVox walked through every step in our earlier guide to the voter letter.
If you can’t find your PIN. Without the letter you can’t vote, but there is a fix. The answer depends on your situation:
- Your letter was lost or never came. If you are on the voters’ list, go in person to the City Clerk’s Office, which runs the Voter Help Desk, on Level 2 of City Hall, 545 Talbot Street. The desk is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also go to a Voter Assistance Centre. Bring ID. If you have none, you can fill out a declaration of identity instead. Staff check that you have not already voted, then print you a new letter with a new PIN. Your old PIN stops working.
- You left your letter at home. If you are already at a Voter Assistance Centre, you don’t have to go back for it. Show ID, and staff can print you a new letter there.
- You are not on the voters’ list, or your details are wrong. Check your listing online. To be added or to fix it, fill out an Application to Amend the Voters’ List in person at the same City Clerk’s Office during the same hours, or at any Voter Assistance Centre. Bring ID. If you are added after the letters were mailed, you get your letter with its PIN in person.
- Your PIN says it has already been used. Go to the Voter Help Desk at City Hall. You will have to show the City Clerk or Deputy City Clerk that you did not vote, and fill out a form, before a new PIN can be issued.
Election Headquarters can answer questions at 519-631-1680 (press 0) or customerservice@stthomas.ca, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A replacement letter, though, means showing up in person with ID.
Voter Assistance Centres have City staff to help, and devices to vote on if you don’t have a computer, tablet or phone. They also take voters’ list changes. Until the first centre opens on October 15th, in-person help is at City Hall. The four centres are:
- Thursday, October 15th, 1 to 7 p.m., Elgin Centre, 417 Wellington Street
- Wednesday, October 21st, noon to 4 p.m., St. Thomas Seniors’ Centre, 225 Chestnut Street
- Saturday, October 24th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Elgin Centre
- Monday, October 26th, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., St. Thomas Public Library, 153 Curtis Street
Know who’s running. Three people are running for mayor. It is an open seat, since Mayor Joe Preston is not seeking re-election. Nineteen are running for eight council seats, and every voter in the city picks from the same list. LocVox’s Know Your Candidates page puts all 22 in one place, in alphabetical order. Every candidate was offered the same space, free: a photo, a short bio, why they are running and their top priorities. Tap “View Profile” on any card to read the whole thing. As of October 13th, 13 of the 22 had sent in their own profile. For the rest, a short summary put together from public sources fills the space, and it is clearly marked. You can also reach the page from the “Voting is open now” banner on the LocVox homepage.
LocVox is not connected to the City or to any campaign. The official list of certified candidates, including the two people running for Catholic school board trustee, is on the City’s election hub.
Read up, find your letter, and vote before 8 p.m. on October 26th.
Sources: City of St. Thomas, 2026 Municipal Election: Voting Now Underway, City of St. Thomas, 2026 Municipal Election Voting Procedures Manual, St. Thomas Votes 2026: Election Hub
By Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom
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