New Brunswick · Municipality of St. Stephen

How to run for Council in St. Stephen

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

Election day: Monday, May 11, 2026
Population (2021)
8,165
Council seats
8 seats
Term
4 years
Wards
3

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for councillor in St. Stephen, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of St. Stephen, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in St. Stephen (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 St. Stephen 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
Councillor (Wards 1–3)varies (8 total)4 yrsWard residency required

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 St. Stephen.
  • 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 for St. Stephen.

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 St. Stephen

  • Council size debate. The current council was internally split during the term over whether to reduce the number of councillors before 2026; status quo prevailed but expect the issue to recur.
  • Cross-border with Maine. St. Stephen is across the St. Croix River from Calais, Maine — daily cross-border commerce shapes the local economy. Border infrastructure (3 international bridges) is a recurring federal/local issue.
  • Ganong Chocolate. Canada's oldest candy company is headquartered in St. Stephen; major local employer and cultural anchor.
  • Open mayoralty after long incumbency. MacEachern's 14-year tenure ends. Three-way race likely to feature debate on post-reform integration of the parish wards into the expanded municipal district.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in St. Stephen also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large
  • Anglophone South DEC member — Same ballot

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in St. Stephen?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the St. Stephen 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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