Election Day - October 28, 2026

Run for Mayor or Council:  

Before seeking election for Mayor or Councillor, read the following information regarding eligibility and registration process. 

Eligibility 

Persons eligible to be a candidate for Mayor must meet all of the following criteria: 

• a Canadian citizen; 
• 18 years old or older on election day, October 28, 2026; 
• a resident of Manitoba; 
• a voter; and 
• not be disqualified by law.

 

Becoming a candidate for Mayor involves two important steps: 

1. Registration Process; and
2. Nomination Process

 

Registration process: 

Candidates for Mayor or Councillor must register with the Senior Election Official before soliciting donations or incurring any campaign expenditures. 

Through this process, a candidate becomes authorized to begin an election campaign. Once registered, the candidate will receive nomination papers. 

Candidates must complete a registration form and all applicable consent forms. Candidates must submit these, in-person, to the Senior Election Official. 

Registration for candidates for Mayor begins on May 1, 2026. 

Registration for candidates for Councillor begins June 30, 2026. 

Forms and more information will come soon.

Resources: 

• Your Local Government – How to Get Involved

 

Nomination process: 

• Nomination papers
• Candidates seeking election for Mayor or Councillor must submit nomination papers which provide evidence of support from eligible voters.
• Before a candidate is permitted to file nomination papers, they must have already filed their registration form. Nomination papers are provided to prospective candidates at the time of registration.
• More information on nomination dates and process will come soon.  

 

• Campaign Period
• The campaign period is the time during which a registered candidate, or any person acting on their behalf, can accept contributions or incur campaign expenses.
  
• The campaign period begins upon registration and ends 90 days after election day. It is only during this period that candidates can solicit contributions and expend funds for the purposes of election. The campaign period for candidates for Mayor begins Friday, May 1, 2026 and for Councilors begins June 30, 2026.
  
  

• Legislation Resources 

Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act

Voter Eligibility for Municipal Elections: 

To vote for Mayor or Councillor, you must be: 

• a Canadian citizen; and 
• 18 years of age or older on election day (October 28, 2026); and 
• a resident of the Town of Carman or property owner since April 28, 2026 or;  
• a landowner in Town of Carman since April 28, 2026. 
• Property must be registered under legal name, not under a business or corporation.

 

Determining residency of a voter: 

The following determines the residency of a voter: 

• voter is a resident of the place where they have their ordinary residence, and to which they intend to return when away from it 
• voter may be a resident of only one place at a time 
• voter does not change residence until they have a new residence

 

A person who leaves a municipality for temporary reasons is still considered a resident voter. For example, a student attending university or college outside the municipality, but who intends to return home after the term ends, is considered a resident voter.

A voter may vote only once in the same election, regardless of whether they own multiple properties. 

Every voter is required to provide proof of their name and current address by showing identification. There are multiple ways to do this:

Option 1 - One piece of government issued photo ID 

Show one original piece of identification with your photo, name and address. It must be issued by a government agency.

Examples: 

• A valid driver’s license 
• Passport 
• any other card issued by a government agency with your photo, name and current address

 

Option 2 - Two pieces of ID 

Show two original pieces of authorized identification that together provide evidence of your name and current address satisfactory to the election official.  

Examples (any combination): 

• Manitoba Health Services card 
• Manitoba Blue Cross card 
• credit card statement 
• utility bill

 

List of additional accepted ID to prove your identity and address under Option 2 

This list is not exhaustive and additional pieces of ID may be accepted.