The candidate nomination period for October’s municipal election ended on the afternoon of Friday, August 21, and Meaford voters now know the roster of candidates from which they will choose when casting their ballots on October 26.
As of the close of the nomination period, Meaford voters will have three candidates from which to choose for mayor. Current Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney is hoping to move up to the mayor’s chair, and she will be challenged by Justin Perks and Caryn Colman.
As happened in the 2022 municipal election, the position of deputy mayor would have been won by acclamation, with only current member of council Rob Uhrig registering to run for the position. In 2022, Shirley Keaveney was also unopposed in her bid for the deputy mayor’s seat, and so was acclaimed. It was announced on Monday afternoon that Uhrig’s nomination was rejected by the municipal Clerk.
“One nomination was received for the office of Deputy Mayor, however the Clerk rejected this nomination because it did not comply with the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996,” said the municipality after the release of the official list of certified candidates on Monday afternoon. “As per the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the Clerk/Returning Officer for the Municipality of Meaford is providing notice that additional nominations for the office of Deputy Mayor will be accepted on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 between 9:00 a.m. And 2:00 p.m. The certification of additional candidate nominations will be completed by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.”
Meaford voters will have some options for the regular councillor positions. According to the unofficial list of candidates published on the municipal website, there are nine candidates vying for the five regular council seats – incumbents Tony Bell, Brandon Forder, and Eric Ennis, as well as former member of council Jim McPherson, and some new faces, candidates Adam Vaughan, former Meaford Treasurer Darcy Chapman, Amanda Greenfield, Elgin Pecjak, and John Clark.
The official list of certified candidates is available on the municipal website as of the end of day on Monday, August 24.
For the October 26 municipal election, Meaford voters will cast their ballots by internet or telephone.
All election information, including voting information, and the unofficial list of registered candidates can be found at: https://www.meaford.ca/en/our-government/election.aspx
