Ontario · City of Sarnia

How to run for Mayor in Sarnia

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for mayor candidates in Sarnia, Ontario.

Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026
Population (2021)
72,047
Head of council
1 Mayor
Term
4 years
Wards
None

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for mayor in Sarnia, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Sarnia, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Sarnia (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 mayor do?

The Mayor is the head of council in Sarnia — chairs council meetings, is the public face of the city, and votes alongside councillors on by-laws, the annual budget, and major staffing decisions.

Lambton County (Mayor + 4 City-County Councillors sit on County Council).

RoleSeatsTermNotes
Mayor14 yrAt-large; sits on Lambton County Council.

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at the City Clerk, 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.
  • 25 endorsement signatures from eligible electors of Sarnia.Municipalities with fewer than 4,000 eligible electors are exempt from the signature requirement.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: $200. Refundable in full if you file your campaign financial statement on time.

Where to file

Office of the City Clerk, Sarnia City Hall, 255 Christina Street North, Sarnia ON N7T 7N2. By appointment.

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
May 1, 12:30 p.m.Nomination period opens
Aug 21, 6:00 p.m.Nomination period closes (last day to file)
October 26, 2026Election day
November 15, 2026New term of council begins
March 27, 2027Campaign financial statement due

Missing the financial-statement deadline can trigger automatic disqualification from running in the next cycle and forfeiture of your filing fee.

Step 5

Campaign finance

Sarnia runs under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The headline numbers for the 2026 cycle:

Per-individual contribution
$1,200
max from any one person to your campaign
Aggregate / additional rules
$5,000
across all candidates in the same municipality
Self + spouse contribution
lesser of $7,500 + $0.20 × eligible electors, or $25,000
combined cap
Spending limit
$7,500 + $0.85 per eligible elector
the City Clerk issues your written limit after nominations close
Corporate and union donations are banned. Cash gifts of $25 or less generally don't need to be tracked individually; anything more must be by cheque, debit, credit, money order, or e-transfer that traces to the contributor.

Local

Specific to Sarnia

  • Sarnia uses a fully at-large system — voters cast a Mayor ballot plus up to 8 council votes (4 City-County, 4 City) on a single ballot.
  • Distinction between "City-County" and "City" councillor matters for upper-tier representation; candidates declare which seat at nomination.
  • Sarnia is not strong-mayor designated.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Sarnia also choose:

  • City-County Councillor — At-large; sit on both Sarnia Council and Lambton County Council.
  • City Councillor — At-large; sit on Sarnia Council only.
  • School Board Trustees — Lambton Kent DSB, St. Clair Catholic DSB, CSViamonde, CSDC Providence.

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Sarnia?

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

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

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