Manitoba · Municipality of RM of Stanley

How to run for School Trustee in RM of Stanley

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for school trustee candidates in RM of Stanley, Manitoba.

Election day: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Population (2021)
8,981
Boards
varies
Term
4 years
Wards
2

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for school trustee in RM of Stanley, you must be:

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

School trustees represent voters on a school board and oversee policy, budgets, and the hiring of senior staff for public schools in RM of Stanley.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
School Trustee — Garden Valley School Division / Western School Divisionvaries4 yrsSame ballot.

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at the Senior Election Official (SEO), 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.
  • 1% of eligible voters in the ward / municipality (max 25, min 2) from eligible electors of RM of Stanley.In Winnipeg, mayoral candidates need 250 signatures (Winnipeg Charter override).
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: None.

Where to file

RM of Stanley Municipal Office, Morden area (23111 PTH 14W, Morden, MB R6M 1J9). Filed during September 16–22, 2026 window.

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
October 28, 2026Election day
November 17, 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

RM of Stanley runs under Manitoba's Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act. The headline numbers for the 2026 cycle:

Per-individual contribution
$1,500 (mayor / at-large councillor) or $750 (ward councillor)
max from any one person to your campaign
Aggregate / additional rules
Manitoba-resident individuals only
across all candidates in the same municipality
Spending limit
Set by municipal bylaw where one exists (Winnipeg uses an expense bylaw)
the Senior Election Official (SEO) 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 RM of Stanley

  • Multi-seat ward structure is uncommon in Manitoba — each of Stanley's two wards elects three councillors at once. Strategically: a candidate must finish in the top 3 in their ward, not just beat one opponent.
  • Stanley wraps Winkler and Morden geographically; some campaign-finance and door-knocking dynamics are tied to those urban neighbours.
  • Two school divisions overlap — Garden Valley (most of the RM) and Western (small western/southern slice).
  • Ward councillor contribution limit $750.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in RM of Stanley also choose:

  • Reeve — At-large.
  • Councillor — Ward 1 — Three seats elected concurrently.
  • Councillor — Ward 2 — Three seats elected concurrently.

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in RM of Stanley?

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

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with the Senior Election Official (SEO) and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

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