Elections>
2026 Municipal and School Board Elections 
The next Municipal and School Board Election is Monday, October 26, 2026.
For the 2026 Elections, Tay Township will be offering vote by internet or telephone, starting at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026, until Election Day on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Eligible voters will be able to cast their vote from anywhere with internet access or telephone service. This means voters will have the ability to vote from the comfort of their own home, on-the-go, at the Municipal Office, or at a Voter Assistance Centre.
Positions to be Voted on
Eligible voters will elect the following positions:
- Mayor - 1 position at large
- Deputy Mayor - 1 position at large
- Councillors - 5 positions at large
- School Board Trustee - 1 position at large
Unofficial Candidate Listing
The Unofficial Candidate Listing will continue to be updated as nominations are filed.
Eligibility to Vote
To be eligible to vote, you must meet the Qualifications of Electors as listed in the Municipal Elections Act. A person is eligible to vote in Tay Township when they meet all of the following conditions:
- A Canadian citizen;
- At least 18 years old;
- A resident, owner or tenant of land in Tay Township or the spouse of such tenant or owner; and
- Not prohibited from voting under any law subsection (3) or by any other law;
Eligible voters may only vote once regardless of how many properties you own or rent within Tay Township.
Register to Vote
Elections Ontario maintains the Voters List for the Provincial, Municipal and School Board Elections. You can confirm, update, or add your information if you:
- 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
Electors should update their information with Elections Ontario by August 12, 2026. After this deadline, eligible electors may only register with a Tay Township Election Official.
School Support
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for collecting school support information. Property owners in Ontario must designate support for a school system, even if they do not have children or if their children do not currently attend school. This designation appears on your Property Assessment Notice. To learn more about school support, visit the MPAC website. Elector should update their information with MPAC by June 1, 2026.
Voter Assistance Centres
Voter Assistance Centres (VCA) will be available to support eligible voters. At a VCA, voters can cast their vote in-person using a tablet and/or they can receive help with registering or updating their information on the voters list. The main VCA is located at the Tay Township Municipal Office (450 Park St, Victoria Harbour) from Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. and during regular business hours until Election Day on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. Additional VCA's will be available as follows:
- Tuesday, October 13, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Waubaushene Library
- Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Port McNicoll Community Centre
- Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Municipal Office
- Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Municipal Office
Interested in Running in the 2026 Municipal Election?
Interested persons can pick up at Candidate Package during regular business hours at the Municipal Office. Additional information can be found on our Candidate Portal.
Nominations are being accepted for the 2026 Municipal Election from Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. to Friday August 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. To officially file your candidacy, please schedule a meeting with an Election Official.
What is Involved in being on Municipal Council?
As a Councillor, you have representative, policy-making and stewardship roles to play in your municipality. Often these roles will overlap. You will be called on to consider and make decisions on issues that will sometimes be complex and controversial. Most of those decisions will have long-term consequences for your municipality that extend beyond your four-year term of office, and should be made in the context of your municipality’s directions for the long-term health and welfare of your community.
Time-Commitment
The time commitment can be significant. In addition to one Council and one Committee of the Whole meeting per month, there are often additional public meeting and Special Council meetings scheduled throughout the year. Additionally, all members of Council are appointed to Committees of Council, which often meet monthly. Council members are also expected to attend special events held by the Township and other municipal stakeholders. There may be a considerable time spent talking with and responding to the residents. The amount of time required to prepare for a Council or committee meeting can be several hours per week due to the number of lengthy reports to be read in advance. Council also appoints members to external organizations. If appointed to an external organization, meeting dates, times and locations will vary. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor also sit on Simcoe County Council.
Meetings
Currently, Council meetings take place in-person at 7:00 p.m. on the 4th Wednesday of each month and Committee of the Whole meetings take place virtually at 9:00 a.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Committees of Council meet at various times either in-person or virtually each month.
Remuneration
For the 2026-2030 Council Term, Members are provided with an annual base salary based on position. The annual base salary is provided to members to compensate for the work of the member in order to discharge the official duties including but not limited to attendance at meetings, optional special events, engagements, functions; constituent meetings; and invited attendee meetings.
The annual base salary for 2026-2030:
- Mayor: $50,166
- Deputy Mayor: $38,795
- Councillor: $32,568
**The Mayor and Deputy Mayor also sit on Simcoe County Council and are provided additional compensation from the County.
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For more information about filing your candidacy in the 2026 Municipal Election, head to our Candidate Portal!
Important Dates for the 2026 Municipal Election
- Nomination Period: Friday, May 1, 2026 (8:30am) to Friday, August 21, 2026 (2:00pm)
- Third Party Registration: Monday, May 1, 2026 (8:30am) to Friday, October 23, 2026 (4:30pm)
- Deadline for Withdrawal of Nominations: Friday, August 21, 2026 (2:00pm)
- Tay Township Voting Period: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 (10:00 a.m.) to Monday, October 26, 2026 (ends at 8:00pm)
- Election Day: Monday, October 26, 2026 (ends at 8:00pm)
Important Notices for the 2026 Municipal Election
Once elected, members of Council will serve a 4-year term. The current term of Council began in November 2022, and the next term of Council will commence in November 2026.
The Municipal Elections Act (MEA) is the legal framework that governs Municipal Elections in Ontario. The MEA outlines the procedures for the elections, such as nomination and voting processes, voter rights, and regulates fundraising functions and third party advertisements.
Joint Compliance Audit Committee Recruitment Campaign
The County of Simcoe is inviting residents to serve their community by applying to become a member of the Joint Compliance Audit Committee for the 2026-2030 term of Council. The County is currently recruiting up to seven (7) qualified volunteers to serve on the Committee, which is established under the Municipal Elections Act and formed jointly with Simcoe County’s member municipalities and the City of Orillia.
The Joint Compliance Audit Committee plays a key role in maintaining financial transparency and accountability in municipal elections. The Committee is responsible for reviewing applications submitted by electors who, on reasonable grounds, believe that a candidate or third-party advertiser may have contravened campaign finance requirements under the Municipal Elections Act. The Committee also reviews reports of donation over-contributions received from local municipal Clerks and determines whether applications should proceed to an audit or legal action.
For more information, please visit simcoe.ca/government/clk/joint-compliance-audit-committee/.
Questions?
Municipal Elections are administered by the Municipal Clerk, who acts as the Returning Officer under the authority of the Municipal Elections Act. Should you have any questions, regarding the information on this website please contact an Election Official listed below:
Katelyn Johns, Municipal Clerk/Library CEO
Township of Tay
450 Park Street, PO Box 100
Victoria Harbour, Ontario L0K 2A0
Phone: 705-534-7248 x240
Email: kjohns@tay.ca
Lacey McKay, Legislative Coordinator
Township of Tay
450 Park Street, PO Box 100
Victoria Harbour, Ontario L0K 2A0
Phone: 705-534-7248 x257
Email: lmckay@tay.ca
Andrea Fay, CAO/Deputy Clerk
Township of Tay
450 Park Street, PO Box 100
Victoria Harbour, Ontario L0K 2A0
Phone: 705-534-7248 x222
Email: afay@tay.ca
2022 Municipal and School Board Election Results
- Township of Tay Certificate of Election Results 2022
- To view the official school board trustee results please visit the City of Barrie website.
About the 2022 Election
In 2022, voters in the Township of Tay cast their vote in the municipal election from the comfort of their own home or from anywhere at which they could access the internet or telephone.
In addition to internet and telephone voting, the Township offered a Voter Assistance Kiosk at the Municipal Office during regular business hours from October 11 to Election Day. In addition to the Voter Assistance Kiosk two advance votes were held Saturday October 15 and Saturday October 22, at the Municipal Office.
For those who elected to cast their vote in-person, either by paper ballot or electronically, a Voter Assistance Centre was provided at the Municipal Office on Election Day, Monday October 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The official list of candidates has been certified by the Clerk per the Municipal Elections Act
Offices Elected by Acclamation
Offices elected by acclamation are as follows: Term of Council November 15, 2022 to November 14, 2026.
- Mayor Ted Walker
- Deputy Mayor Barry Norris
- Councillor Sylvia Bumstead
- Councillor Gerard La Chapelle
- Councillor Judy Larmand
- Councillor Paul Raymond
- Councillor Sandy Talbot
- English Language Separate School Board Trustee Michael D'Amelio
- French Language Separate School Board Trustee Claire Thibideau
Eligible Tay voters voted on the following School Board Trustee positions:
- English Language Public School Board Trustee
- French Language Public School Board Trustee
Election Accessibility
It's important that all eligible voters are able to cast a ballot during the election. We're committed to implementing procedures in 2022 to ensure all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their ability.
Candidate Financial Statements
- Mayor
- Deputy Mayor
- Barry Norris
- Jeff Bumstead *Nomination Withdrawn
- Councillors
Joint Compliance Audit Committee
The County of Simcoe has formed a Joint Compliance Audit Committee (CAC) with local municipalities as required under the Municipal Elections Act. The participating municipalities in the Joint CAC are the Townships of Clearview, Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Severn, Springwater, Tay, and Tiny, the Towns of Collingwood, and Midland, and the City of Orillia. The committee members were all appointed by by-law in each participating municipality.
The Joint Compliance Audit Committee is a public process and the Committee is responsible for reviewing compliance audit applications submitted by an elector who believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate or third party advertiser has contravened the provisions of the Municipal Elections Act relating to campaign or advertising finances.
All financial statements submitted by candidates and registered third party advertisers are available on this page under "2022 Candidate Financial Statements." An individual who is an eligible elector in the Township of Tay is able to submit an application to the Joint Compliance Audit Committee if the individual believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate or registered third party advertiser (TPA) has contravened a section of the Municipal Elections Act only as it pertains to election campaign finances. An application may be filed to the Committee, even if a candidate has not filed their financial statements.
The County of Simcoe Clerk will facilitate the compliance audit process. Within ten (10) days of the municipal clerk receiving the application, it will be provided to the Joint CAC members. All reasonable notice of meetings to the public, candidate or TPA, and applicant will be provided.
Questions regarding this process can be directed to the Township Clerk.
Application for a Compliance Audit - Making an Application
- Applicant must be an eligible elector in the Township of Tay or another of the above-noted municipalities.
- Have reasonable grounds to contest a candidate’s or TPA’s campaign finances.
- Complete the Application for a Compliance Audit form.
- Submit application to Township of Tay Clerk by the deadline.
Tay Township
450 Park Street, PO Box 100
Victoria Harbour
ON L0K 2A0
Phone: 705-534-7248
Katelyn Johns
Municipal Clerk
705-534-7248 ext. 240

