Candidate registrations for mayor and reeve open May 1 and for councillor positions on June 30
The next municipal election is going to take place on October 28, 2026, for most area RMs and the City of Selkirk. Candidate registration already started for mayors and reeves on May 1, and candidate registration for councillors will start on June 30. If you’d like to run for a position in public office, now is the time to consider putting your hat in the ring.
“This is your community, and you have a voice in what happens, and it’s important that people exercise that voice. There are choices that always have to be made, and Council needs to be able to respond to the wishes of the community. So, this is your opportunity to be heard, and everyone needs to really take advantage of that,” said Marilyn Williams, Senior Elections Official for the RM of St. Andrews.
To become a qualified candidate to run for municipal office, you need to be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years of age on election day, and be a voter in the municipality, which means you must be a resident or own property for six months prior to the date of the election and be on the voters’ list.
Williams explained that registering isn’t very difficult.
“It’s very simple and probably the same for any municipality. Go to the (municipality’s) website. On the website, I know for St Andrews, we’ve got Election 2026, and there is information about being a candidate, and we will also be posting information about how to vote, where to vote, (and) when to vote. Whether you need to vote in advance, or whether you need a secure vote for whatever reason, whether you’re a non-resident voter, all of that information will be on the website, but the candidate information is up there now, and yes, people should be encouraged to run if they feel that they can do a good job in assisting Council,” she said.
To register as a candidate for mayor/reeve or councillor, you need to register with your region’s Seniors Elections Official before Sept. 22, 2026.
It should be noted that area resort communities which include Winnipeg Beach, Dunnottar, and Victoria Beach, have much earlier dates for candidate registration – Feb. 1 for mayors and reeves and March 31 for councillors. Because of this, their candidate registration periods end sooner, on June 18, and their elections take place on July 24, 2026.
Williams said that as a Senior Elections Official, now is a bit of a busy time for people in her role, and she will get busy again as the election comes closer.
“We’re getting everything ready for candidates when they do register. And then, once people have registered their intention to run for office, it’s up to them to do their canvassing. And, once we get into September, things will get busy again, because then we have all the actual preparation of the materials for the voting,” she said.
She explained that as election timeapproaches, more information for residents will be posted to their municipality’s websites, so it’s important to keep up to date, and she encourages residents to make plans to vote on election day.
“Everybody should vote if you’re over 18 and you’ve lived in the area for six months or more, whether you’re an owner or a renter, you have the right to vote, and you really should exercise that right,” said Williams.
Specific information about requirements to run for municipal council positions can be found online at www.gov.mb.ca/mr/mfas/elections. Information for running in each RM and Selkirk, as well as who each Senior Elections Official is for each municipality, can be found on the website for each municipality.
