2026 MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS
A general municipal and school board election will be held in Thompson on Wednesday, October 28 as mandated by Manitoba’s Municipal Act.
Voters will elect 1 Mayor and 8 Councillors for the City of Thompson along with 7 School Trustees for the School District of Mystery Lake.
WHO CAN VOTE?
All residents of Thompson who are 18 or older on election day and have lived in the city for at least 6 months (since April 28 of this year) are eligible to vote for Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees.
Non-residents 18 or older who have owned property within the City of Thompson for at least 6 months are also eligible to vote. No more than 2 non-resident property owners per address may cast ballots in the municipal and school board election regardless of how many owners there are.
Students attending university outside of the City of Thompson who intend to return home after their current term are also eligible voters.
Local residents with no fixed address, such as those who live at a local shelter, hostel, or similar social institution, are also eligible to cast a ballot.
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?
The candidate lists will not be official until the nomination period (Wednesday, September 16 to Tuesday, September 22) has ended and the withdrawal deadline (24 hours after the close of nominations) has passed.
As of Wednesday, September 16, the registered candidates are:
MAYOR | COUNCILLOR | SCHOOL TRUSTEE |
Oswald Sawh | Chiew Chong | Oyekanmi Abioye |
Colleen Smook | Louis Fitzpatrick | Lindsay Anderson |
Ron Matechuk | Abbie Humby | |
Joyce McIvor | Leo Landers | |
Kathy Valentino | Michele Nichol-Sawh | |
Rita Werstroh | M.D. Sharker | |
Michelle Tomashewski | ||
Henk Warner-Brown | ||
Bryan Young |
WHEN AND WHERE CAN I VOTE?
Voting will take place on Wednesday, October 28 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Bill Comaskey Wellness Centre at the Thompson Regional Community Centre.
Advance polls will be on Thursday, OPctober 15, Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17. Advance polls will take place in the Multipurpose Room at the Thompson Regional Community Centre between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
A person may be required to produce one piece of government-issued photo identification (for example – driver’s licence or passport) or at least two other documents that provide proof of identity in order to vote.
VOTING BY MAIL
Eligible voters who will be unable to vote in-person on election day Wednesday, October 28 or in advance polls may apply to vote by mail.
Applications to vote by mail will be available after the nomination period has ended and the withrdrawal deadline has passed. Mail-in ballots can be obtained by emailing the Senior Election Official (SEO) Norma Howitt at nehow1@hotmail.com or calling 204-679-4848.
If applying in writing, the request must include photocopies of two pieces of identification (an official document issued by the federal, provincial or municipal government that includes your name, address and photograph) and proof of Thompson property ownership.
Ballots should be filled out and returned to City Hall at 226 Mystery Lake Road, R8N 1S6 by 3 p.m. on election day Wednesday, October 28 to be accepted.
ADDICTIONAL ELECTION INFORMATION
Municipal & Northern Relations 2026 Elections Page
CITY OF THOMPSON ELECTION BY-LAWS
Council Code of Conduct By-Law
Use of a Municipal Resource in an Election By-Law
ELECTION NOTICES
ELECTION-RELATED VIDEOS
Pre-Election Orientation Wednesday, September 9
Code of Conduct Explainer
Conflict of Interest Legislation for Municipal and Community Councils in Manitoba
MB Votes 2026: LIVE Panel Discussions with Cross Border Network
Episode 1: So, You Want to be a Councillor?
