Township of Wellington North · Wellington County · 2026
How to vote in Wellington North, 2026
Wellington North runs its 2026 municipal election by mail. Every eligible voter is sent a ballot. This is a plain-language guide to what you need to do, and by when.
Every date and procedure below was checked against the Township's own election pages on . Where this guide and a campaign leaflet disagree, the Township is right — their page is linked at the bottom.
There is no polling station on election day
You cannot turn up and vote on October 26 — by then your ballot has to already be back with the Township. Everyone is mailed a ballot at the end of September. If you would rather vote in person, there are two Saturdays in October when you can, and they are listed below.
Wellington North · 2026
Every voter gets a ballot in the mail
There is no polling station on election day — your ballot has to be back before then.
Step 1: Get on the voters' list at registertovoteon.ca by August 12
Step 2: Watch your mailbox — voter kits go out at the end of September
Step 3: Mark your ballot in black pen. Never pencil
Step 4: Mail it back free, or use the drop box, so it arrives by October 26
Rather vote in person? There are two days — Mount Forest Oct 10 and Arthur Oct 17. Questions: Township Clerk 519-848-3620 ext. 4227
01 — Step by step
What you actually have to do
1. Check you are on the voters' list
In a mail election this is the step that matters most. The voters' list decides whether a ballot is posted to you at all, and to which address. If you have moved, this is what catches people out.
Check your listing at registertovoteon.ca, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's lookup for Ontario municipal elections. The deadline to do it online is Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
Missed that date? You have almost certainly not lost your vote. After that date you can still be added, but you have to apply directly to the Township Clerk. You have until voting closes on October 26 to do it.
You can generally vote in the Township of Wellington North election if you are 18 or older, a Canadian citizen, and either live here or own or rent property here. The Clerk's office can confirm your eligibility.
2. Watch for your voter kit
Voter kits are mailed at the end of September 2026. The kit arrives as ordinary mail and is easy to mistake for a flyer, so open anything that comes from the Township of Wellington North.
Inside you will find your ballot, an instruction sheet, and a return envelope. The return envelope in your kit is postage paid. You do not need a stamp.
Follow the instruction sheet in your own kit exactly. It is the authority, and a kit returned without a required signature can be set aside.
3. Four contests, not two
This is the part most people get wrong. A Ward 4 voter marks a choice in four separate contests, not one or two:
-
Mayor
Elected by the whole township. Everyone votes in this one.
-
Councillor, Ward 4
Only Ward 4 residents vote in this one. This is the seat Serge is running for.
-
Wellington County Councillor
Wellington North elects two members to County Council. County wards are numbered separately from township wards, so the number on your ballot may not be 4.
-
School board trustee
Which trustee contest appears on your ballot depends on the school board you support.
4. Mark it in black pen. Never pencil
Use a black pen or black marker only. Do not use pencil — pencil can smudge or fade, and a ballot that cannot be read may not be counted.
Mark your choice clearly in each contest. Do not add initials, comments or any other mark — anything that could identify you, or that makes your intention unclear, can spoil the ballot.
02 — Getting it back
Two ways to return your ballot
Option one
Post it — free
The return envelope in your kit is postage paid. You do not need a stamp. Seal it as the instruction sheet directs and put it in any mailbox. Rural delivery takes time, so send it the week your kit arrives rather than the week of the deadline.
Option two
Use the drop box
A secure drop box is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at:
Township of Wellington North Municipal Office7490 Sideroad 7 West, Kenilworth
The safer choice if the deadline is close.
The deadline
Your ballot must arrive by Monday, October 26, 2026
This is a received-by deadline, not a postmarked-by deadline. A ballot postmarked October 24 but delivered on October 28 is too late, and it will not be counted.
03 — In person
You can still vote in person, on two Saturdays
If you would rather not use the post, or you want help with your ballot, the Township runs two in-person voting days in October.
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Mount Forest
Saturday, October 10, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Mount Forest & District Sports Complex — Leisure Hall
850 Princess Street, Mount Forest -
Arthur
Saturday, October 17, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Arthur & Area Community Centre — Auditorium
158 Domville Street, Arthur
04 — If something goes wrong
Call early, not late
If your kit does not arrive, or you spoil your ballot, contact the Clerk's office as soon as you notice. Every day that passes is a day less to fix it.
The most common cause of a missing kit is an out-of-date address on the voters' list, so check your listing at registertovoteon.ca at the same time.
If you make a mistake on the ballot, do not try to erase or scribble it out. Call and ask what to do — there is only time to replace it if you call early.
Official election contact
Karren Wallace
Director of Legislative Services / Clerk
The Clerk's office runs the election and is the authority on every procedural question — your kit, your place on the voters' list, your ballot and your eligibility.
05 — Questions
Wellington North vote-by-mail FAQ
- Is there a polling station in Wellington North in 2026?
- Not on election day. Wellington North votes by mail in 2026 — every eligible voter is sent a ballot and returns it by post or to the drop box. There is nowhere to turn up and vote on October 26 itself. However, the Township does run two in-person voting days beforehand: Mount Forest on Saturday, October 10 and Arthur on Saturday, October 17, both 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Can I still vote in person if I want to?
- Yes, on one of two Saturdays in October. Mount Forest & District Sports Complex, Leisure Hall, 850 Princess Street on Saturday, October 10, 2026, and Arthur & Area Community Centre, Auditorium, 158 Domville Street on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Both run 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If neither date works, vote using the package that arrives in your mail.
- How do I check whether I am on the voters’ list?
- Go to registertovoteon.ca, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s voter lookup for Ontario municipal elections. You can confirm you are listed at your current address, add yourself if you are missing, or correct your details. The deadline to do this online is Wednesday, August 12, 2026. This matters more than usual in a mail election, because the voters’ list determines where your ballot is posted.
- I missed the August 12 deadline. Can I still vote?
- Very likely, yes. After the online deadline passes you apply directly to the Township Clerk instead of using the website, and you have until voting closes on October 26, 2026 to do it. Call Karren Wallace, Township Clerk, at 519-848-3620 ext. 4227, or email kwallace@wellington-north.com. Do not assume you have lost your vote — call and ask.
- When will my voting package arrive?
- Voter kits are mailed at the end of September 2026. The kit contains your ballot, instructions, and a postage-paid return envelope. It arrives as ordinary mail and is easy to mistake for a flyer, so open anything that comes from the Township of Wellington North.
- How many contests are on my ballot?
- Four. A Ward 4 voter marks a choice for Mayor of the Township of Wellington North, for Councillor in Ward 4, for a Wellington County Councillor, and for a school board trustee. Which trustee contest appears depends on the school board you support. Note that County Council wards are numbered separately from township wards, so the county number on your ballot may not be 4.
- How do I mark my ballot?
- Use a black pen or black marker only. Do not use pencil — the Township warns that pencil can smudge or fade, and a ballot that cannot be read may not be counted. Mark your choice clearly in each contest and do not add initials, comments or any other mark that could identify you or make your intention unclear.
- How do I return my ballot, and do I need a stamp?
- No stamp needed. The return envelope in your voter kit is postage paid — seal it as the instructions direct and put it in any mailbox. If you would rather not rely on the post, there is a secure drop box at the Township of Wellington North Municipal Office, 7490 Sideroad 7 West, Kenilworth, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- When is the deadline to return my ballot?
- Your marked ballot must ARRIVE by Monday, October 26, 2026. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmarked-by deadline. A ballot postmarked October 24 but delivered on October 28 is too late and will not be counted. Rural delivery takes time, so post it as soon as your kit arrives, or use the Kenilworth drop box if you are close to the deadline.
- What if my voting package does not arrive?
- Contact the Township Clerk’s office as soon as you notice — do not wait to see if it turns up. Call Karren Wallace at 519-848-3620 ext. 4227 or email kwallace@wellington-north.com. The most common cause is an out-of-date address on the voters’ list, so check your listing at registertovoteon.ca at the same time. Acting early leaves time for a replacement to reach you and get back before the deadline.
- What if I make a mistake on my ballot?
- Do not try to erase, scribble out or correct the mark. Contact the Township Clerk’s office at 519-848-3620 ext. 4227 and ask what to do — the Township sets the process for replacing a spoiled ballot, and there is only time to do it if you call early.
- Who do I contact with questions about the election?
- The Township of Wellington North Clerk’s office runs the election and is the authority on every procedural question. Karren Wallace, Director of Legislative Services / Clerk: 519-848-3620 ext. 4227, kwallace@wellington-north.com. Serge Karwal is a candidate, not an election official — for anything about your ballot, your kit or your eligibility, the Clerk’s office is the right call.
About this guide
Published by the campaign of Serge Karwal, a candidate for Councillor in Ward 4. It is written to be accurate and useful to every voter regardless of who they support, but it is not an official Township publication. The Township's own election page is the authoritative source: wellington-north.com. For anything binding — dates, eligibility, your ballot — contact the Clerk's office at 519-848-3620 ext. 4227.