Winnipeg municipal election news — Winnipeg Advance Voting opened Monday, Oct. 5, at 174 locations across the city, giving the more than 533,000 Winnipeggers on the voters list a full three weeks to cast an early ballot before Election Day on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | October 6, 2026
Sources: Access Winnipeg, City of Winnipeg | Last updated: October 6, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Winnipeg Advance Voting runs Oct. 5-23, 2026, at 174 locations — any eligible voter can cast a ballot at any site, regardless of ward.
- Community centre sites open Oct. 19-22 from 4 to 8 p.m.; malls, Canada Life Centre and City Hall anchor the longer-running locations.
- More than 533,000 names are on the voters list. Ballots cover Mayor, City Councillor and School Trustee.
- Can’t vote in person? Sealed-envelope (mail) ballots are available — apply by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 25, and get the ballot back before 8 p.m. on Oct. 28.
- Election Day is Wednesday, Oct. 28, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Winnipeg Advance Voting locations and hours
The headline change voters should know: this isn’t ward-locked. Winnipeg Advance Voting lets you walk into any one of the 174 sites that suits you — the rules don’t care which neighbourhood you sleep in. The anchor locations include City Hall’s Council Building at 510 Main St. (2nd floor), Canada Life Centre downtown, and a run of shopping malls: Kildonan Place, Garden City, CF Polo Park, St. Vital Centre, Grant Park and IKEA. Community centres across the city join the map from Oct. 19 to Oct. 22, running 4 to 8 p.m. — built for the after-work and after-school crowd.
What’s On The Ballot: Mayor, Council, School Trustees
Every Winnipeg Advance Voting ballot carries three choices: Mayor, your City Councillor, and your School Trustee. That is the whole local power structure on one piece of paper — the people who set your property tax rate, decide which streets get fixed, fund your rec centres and run your kids’ schools. The mayoral race alone has 12 candidates on it, so this is not a quiet ballot.
Related: Winnipeg Mayoral Ballot 2026: 12 Candidates in the Race to Run the City
Can’t Make It In Person? Vote From Home By Mail
For voters who can’t get to a polling site, the City offers sealed-envelope ballots — the mail-in option. The deadlines are hard: applications for a sealed-envelope ballot close Oct. 25 at 4:30 p.m., and the completed ballot must be returned before 8 p.m. on Election Day, Oct. 28. Miss the return cutoff and the vote doesn’t count, so don’t leave this one to the last minute.
Why City Hall Wants You There Early
Sherwood Armbruster, the City’s Senior Election Official, didn’t dress it up: “I see voting and working on the democratic process as not just a privilege, but a sacred responsibility. It’s incredibly important for people to get out and vote for their local officials, so they can help shape the services that reflect their communities.”
The practical case is simpler. Voting early beats standing in an Oct. 28 after-work lineup. Advance sites stay open through Oct. 23, and with 174 of them across every corner of the city, there is no version of “too far” or “no time” that survives contact with the facts.
Key Dates And Deadlines
- Oct. 5 — Winnipeg Advance Voting opens at 174 locations
- Oct. 19-22 — community centre locations open, 4 to 8 p.m.
- Oct. 23 — advance voting closes
- Oct. 25, 4:30 p.m. — sealed-envelope (mail) ballot applications close
- Oct. 28 — Election Day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Maplestime will provide updates from Winnipeg’s 2026 municipal election as announcements are made.
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Will Winnipeggers actually show up in record numbers this time — or will the same excuses about long lines and busy schedules decide who runs this city for the next four years? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian in Winnipeg who keeps saying their vote doesn’t matter.
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