2026 Ballot Question
2026 Ballot Question:
On December 11, 2025 Council made a motion to prepare and pass a by-law to add the following question to the 2026 Municipal Election ballot:
“Are you in favour of moving to a ward system?”
Answer options: “Yes” or “No” only.
Public Meetings
In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act (MEA), the Town of Wasaga Beach will be holding a Public Education Session on Monday, January 26th at 6:00pm at the Wasaga Stars Arena, RE/MAX room located at 544 River Road West.
The session will provide education on the differences between the at-large and ward systems and ensure that residents understand the question being asked on the ballot. The workshop presentation and materials will be posted to the EngageWasaga.ca website for those who are unable to attend.
A statutory public meeting regarding placing the question on the ballot will be held virtually on February 12th, 2026 at 10:00am followed by Council’s consideration of the by-law.
To watch the meeting live, visit: https://www.wasagabeach.com/mayor-council/council-live-stream/
To present or speak at this public meeting, you must register in advance by noon on Wednesday, February 11th, 2026. To present or speak, please contact the Deputy Clerk by email at deputyclerk@wasagabeach.com or call 705-429-3844 ext. 2224 and provide the following information:
- First and Last Name
- Phone number or email address
- Municipal Address
Town staff will contact you with further information on how to participate in the meeting once you have registered.
If you are unable to attend this public meeting and you wish to provide written comments in advance, please provide them no later than noon on Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 by contacting the Deputy Clerk at the information above. Alternatively, you may provide your feedback through this page at the feedback survey below.
Key Steps and Deadlines
Below is a chart, which captures the key steps and deadlines that must be met to place question on the ballot as outlined in the MEA.
Step | Deadline/Requirement |
Draft and Finalize question wording | Late 2025 |
Provide 10 day’s notice to public and MMAH (s.8.1(3)) | February 20, 2026 |
Public Consultation (s. 8.1(3)) | Before March 1, 2026 |
Pass by-law to add question to ballot (s.8.1(1)) | March 1, 2026 |
Notify public and MMAH within 15 days of by-law passage (s.8.1(4)) | March 16, 2026 |
Include question on 2026 ballot | Election Day October 26, 2026 |
Implement results if binding | Post-election (start ward boundary review if “yes”) |
The Results
The outcome of the question on the 2026 Municipal Election ballot depends on voter participation. If more than 50% of eligible voters in the municipality vote on the question, AND more than 50% of the votes on the question are in favour of the question, then the result will be binding:
- A majority “Yes” requires the municipality to implement a ward system promptly, beginning a ward boundary review after the 2026 election.
- A majority “No” prevents implementation for four years.
If voter participation falls below 50%, the result is not binding but may guide Council’s decision-making.
Background
Council has previously reviewed electoral systems in 2009, 2013, and 2016. A referendum question was included on the 2018 ballot asking whether the Town should adopt a ward system. While 58.5% of those who voted on the question preferred the at-large system, voter participation on the question did not meet the 50% threshold required for the result to be binding.
