A Guide to Burlington's 2026 Municipal Election

Burlington residents head to the polls October 26, 2026, to elect the city's next mayor, council, and school board trustees. Here's what you need to know before then, laid out plainly.

Key Dates

The nomination deadline to file or withdraw for mayor, councillor, or school board trustee is Friday, August 21, at 2 p.m. — tomorrow, if you're reading this the day it's published.

Online voting runs October 14 to 23. In-person advance polls are open October 17 and October 20. Election day itself is October 26. Full voting locations and details are available on the city's official voting site.

The Mayoral Race

Four names are in the running:

Lisa Kearns — Ward 2 city councillor since 2018, and Deputy Mayor of Engagement and Partnership since 2022. Her platform centres on value for tax dollars, housing, climate resilience, and support for local businesses.

Marianne Meed Ward — the incumbent, first elected mayor in 2018, now seeking a third consecutive term. Announced her re-election bid in June. Her campaign focuses on infrastructure investment, public safety, traffic and congestion, and amplifying resident voices at every level of government.

Rory Nisan — Ward 3 councillor since 2018. Before public office, he worked as a foreign service officer on human rights issues at the United Nations. His platform centres on fiscal responsibility at city hall, affordability, and quality of life.

Yugalkeesor Ramdhonee — new to politics, with a hospitality background and a business administration diploma from the UK.

Ward Races

Burlington is divided into six wards. Here's who's running in each, with incumbents noted:

Ward 1 (west edge, waterfront along North Shore Boulevard to the Waterdown border): Kelvin Galbraith (incumbent), Cheryl Hurst, James Kerr, Robert Radway.

Ward 2 (south of the QEW along the waterfront, Guelph Line as the eastern boundary): Masha Brar, Sean Campbell, Gary Carr, Jeremy Gaetan.

Ward 3 (the city's largest ward by area, from the Palmer neighbourhood north of the QEW past Highway 407 to Derry Road): Tony Brecknock, Mark Carr, Kyle Hutton, Katy Moore.

Ward 4 (between Guelph Line and Appleby Line, largely residential): Chris Carter, Olivia Duke. Current councillor Shawna Stolte is not seeking re-election.

Ward 5 (Burlington's eastern edge, bounded by Appleby Line, Burloak Drive, Dundas Street, and the waterfront): Kristy Dickinson, Alex Don, Brian Machan, Paul Sharman (incumbent).

Ward 6 (northeastern corner, from Upper Middle Road past Highway 407 to Derry Road, between Walkers Line and Bell School Line): Osob Adus, Angelo Bentivegna (incumbent), Bianca Bielski, Chris Bouchard, Frank Domenic, Rowen Fraser, Edmond Jodhi.

School Board Trustees

Halton District School Board: Bika Diakoloukas (Wards 1–2), Sukhwinder Singh and Xin Yi Zhang (Wards 3, 6), Ryan Marlow, Dania Thurman, and Ahmed Zaki (Ward 4), Amy Collard (Ward 5).

Halton Catholic District School Board: Vincent Iantomasi and Allison McKenzie (Wards 1–2), Bernice Carvalho and Roman Soler (Wards 3, 6), Bashar Haddaden, Katrina Vinka Kvenich, and Tim O'Brien (Wards 4–5).

Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir: Diane Courchesne.

Conseil scolaire Viamonde: Sonia Macaluso.

What to Watch For

This list will grow before nominations close, and ward-by-ward coverage will follow as the race develops. If you want the authoritative, continuously updated version — voting locations included — that lives on the city's official voting website. Everything above is a snapshot as of today; treat close races and late entries as expected between now and the nomination deadline.

Details sourced from CHCH News reporting and the City of Burlington's official election information. Confirm candidate lists and voting details directly with the city before Election Day.