New Brunswick · Municipality of Belle-Baie

How to run for Council in Belle-Baie

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for councillor candidates in Belle-Baie, New Brunswick.

Election day: Monday, May 11, 2026
Population (2021)
14,335
Council seats
9 seats
Term
4 years
Wards
6

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for councillor in Belle-Baie, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Belle-Baie, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Belle-Baie (or the spouse of one).
  • Not legally disqualified from running.
Common disqualifications include sitting judges, sitting MPs / Senators / MPPs (must resign before filing), municipal employees (must take an unpaid leave or resign), and people serving a sentence in a penal institution.

Step 2

What does the councillor do?

Councillors in Belle-Baie vote on by-laws, the annual budget, and local services like parks, transit, and zoning. They are the most direct point of contact between residents and city hall.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
Conseiller-at-Large14 yrsAt-large
Conseiller (by ward)84 yrsDistributed across 6 wards (some wards have 2)

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at Elections New Brunswick, in person during regular office hours and on nomination day until 2:00 PM. You'll need to bring:

  • Nomination paper, signed in the presence of the clerk or a commissioner of oaths.
  • 10 nominators from eligible electors of Belle-Baie.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: None — the deposit was eliminated in 2004.

Where to file

Elections NB Municipal Returning Office serving the Chaleur region (operating in French).

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
Apr 10, 5:00 p.m.Nomination period closes (last day to file)
May 11, 2026Election day
May 31, 2026New term of council begins

Step 5

Campaign finance

New Brunswick has no campaign-finance regulation at the local level — no contribution caps, no spending limits, no financial-statement requirement.

Local

Specific to Belle-Baie

  • First post-reform regular election. The 2022 transitional vote brought in the first council; 2026 is the first 4-year cycle. Many institutional structures (committees, by-laws, fee schedules) are still being unified across the four legacy communities.
  • Identity politics. Each former community (Beresford, Nigadoo, Petit-Rocher, Pointe-Verte) has distinct francophone Acadian identity and economic base. Ward-level campaigning matters; mayoral candidates need to demonstrate fairness across all four legacy communities.
  • Naming controversy. The new town's interim name, "Baie-Jolie sur mer," was rejected by residents in 2022; "Belle-Baie" was the alternative chosen after public consultation. The naming process is fresh in residents' memories and continues to come up.
  • Very high turnover. Two mayors in three years. Voters have been engaged and willing to change leadership during the transitional period.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Belle-Baie also choose:

  • Mayor (Maire) — At-large
  • District scolaire francophone Nord-Est DEC member — Same ballot
  • Anglophone North DEC member — Same ballot for anglophone-district voters

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Belle-Baie?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the Belle-Baie ballot:

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with Elections New Brunswick and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

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