Council of the Corporation of the County of Prince Edward passed By-Law 24-2026 on February 24, 2026, pursuant to Section 8.1(1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (the Act), as amended.
This by-law authorizes the placement of a question on the ballot for the 2026 municipal election. Click here to read the notice
The question to be submitted to the electors is as follows:
“Are you in favour of a third-party review of Council size and related ward boundaries?”
The results of this question will be legally binding on the municipality under Section 8.2 of the Act only if:
1. At least 50 percent of the eligible electors in the municipality vote on the question; and
2. More than 50 percent of the votes cast on the question are in favour of the result.
Implementation and Estimated Costs
If the majority vote “Yes”: The municipality shall do everything in its power to implement a third-party review in a timely manner. The estimated cost of conducting this review is between $75,000 and $100,000.
If the majority vote “No”: The municipality shall not take any action to implement a third-party review of Council size or ward boundaries for a period of four years following voting day.
Any person or entity may appeal the wording of the question to the Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario. Appeals must be based on the grounds that the question is not clear, concise, and neutral, or that it cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” (per Section 8.1(2) of the Act).
A notice of appeal setting out the objections and supporting reasons must be filed with the Municipal Clerk within 20 days of the notice of the passing of the by-law. The deadline is Thursday, March 19, 2026.
For more information regarding this by-law or the upcoming election processes in the County of Prince Edward, please contact: Catalina Blumenberg, Municipal Clerk, at cblumenberg@pecounty.on.ca