New to Barrie? Voting, your ward, and what the City decides
If you have moved to Barrie, you can vote in the October 2026 municipal election as long as, on voting day, you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18, and live here or own or rent property here. How recently you arrived does not matter. What matters is being on the voters' list at your Barrie address, because that is where your PIN is mailed. This page is the short route through the rest of the site for someone who is new: how to vote, which ward you are in, and what the council you are electing actually controls, from your tax bill to the snowplow.
Can I vote if I just moved here?
Yes, on the conditions above. Check that you are on the voters' list at your new address, and add or correct your record if you are not; the City's portal, phone line and email are on how to vote. If you are not on the list in time for a PIN in the mail, staff at a Voter Assistance Centre can add you and let you vote there. Students can vote both here and at their permanent home; permanent residents who are not citizens cannot vote in Ontario municipal elections. The dates are on key dates.
Which ward am I in, and who is running?
Barrie votes by ward for councillors and citywide for mayor. Enter your address on find your ward; the 2026 election uses new ward boundaries, and part of the city was annexed from Springwater and Oro-Medonte on January 1, 2026 (what changed). Then see who is running. Your ballot also carries one school board trustee race, chosen by your school support, not by where your children attend: which board is yours.
What does Barrie city council decide?
Council sets the City's share of the property tax and the water and wastewater rates, the standards for snow clearing, transit service, garbage and recycling, and the total it approves for police. It does not set your electricity or natural gas rates, and hospitals, doctors and schools are run by the Province and the school boards. Each is on its own page:
- Property taxes, and where they go
- Water bills and water quality
- Snow clearing, including windrows
- Roads and transit
- Garbage, recycling and the landfill
- Policing and fire response
- Housing and the annexed lands
- Electricity and natural gas: who sets your bill
- Internet: who has fibre
- Health care: what a city can and cannot do
How has the current council voted?
Every recorded vote since 2013 is on council votes, what councillors expense on council expenses, and the mayor's own decisions under the strong-mayor law on strong mayor powers. Who paid for the last campaigns is on campaign finance.
Who lives here?
The census figures for population and growth and the languages spoken in Barrie. This guide is also available in French and in ten other languages.
BarrieVotes.ca is an unofficial resource. This site is independent and volunteer-run; it is not a City of Barrie site, and no candidate or campaign is behind it. Who runs it and how it works. For anything that determines whether or how your vote counts, the City's election office is the authority: barrie.ca, Be.Counted@barrie.ca, or (705) 728-VOTE (8683).
Common questions
I just moved to Barrie. Can I vote in the October 2026 municipal election?
Yes, if on voting day you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18, and live in Barrie or own or rent property here. How recently you arrived does not matter. You do need to be on the voters' list at your Barrie address to get a PIN, and a Voter Assistance Centre can add you on the spot. How to vote has every step.
Can I vote in Barrie if I still own a home where I used to live?
The Municipal Elections Act lets an owner or tenant of land vote in that municipality as well as where they live, so you may be eligible in both. The exact wording, from the Act and the Clerk's procedures.
What does Barrie city council actually decide?
The City's share of your property tax, water and wastewater rates, snow clearing standards, transit, garbage and recycling, and the police budget as a total. It does not set electricity or natural gas rates, and hospitals and doctors are provincial. Each is explained on its own page, linked below.
Which school board do I vote for if I just bought a home?
Your ballot carries the trustee race for the board MPAC records you as supporting, and a new owner is an English public supporter by default unless they register otherwise. How to check or change it.