Who paid for Windsor's 2026 campaigns? Money reports are due March 30

Who paid for Windsor's 2026 campaigns? Every candidate must file a money report with the City Clerk by 2 p.m. on March 30, 2027, listing what they raised, what they spent and every donor who gave more than $100. Here is what to watch for.

Topics: Election 2026Council and City Hall

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Windsor voters chose a mayor, ward councillors and school board trustees on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. The next public record from those campaigns is about money: every candidate has to file a financial statement showing what they raised and what they spent.

This is a plain guide to what is coming, when, and where to read it.

When the reports are due

Candidates must file their financial statements with the City Clerk by 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, 2027.

Every candidate who filed a nomination has to file a statement, including candidates who withdrew.

For most candidates, the campaign period ends on Dec. 31, 2026. A candidate whose campaign is in deficit can extend it to raise more money, and then files a second, supplementary statement by 2 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2027.

What the reports will show

Each statement lists the campaign's income and expenses. It must name every contributor who gave more than $100 in total.

A statement needs an auditor's report when the campaign's contributions or expenses top $10,000.

The donation rules are simple. Corporations and trade unions cannot donate to council or school board candidates. One person can give a single candidate no more than $1,200, and no more than $5,000 in total to candidates running for the same council.

If a candidate files late, or not at all

A candidate who misses the deadline gets a 30-day grace period, but has to pay the municipality a $500 late filing fee. That grace period ends at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, 2027.

The nomination filing fee is refunded only to candidates who file on time. In Windsor that fee was $200 for mayor and $100 for councillor or trustee.

A candidate who still has not filed after the grace period faces automatic penalties: a winner loses their seat, and the candidate cannot run or be appointed to fill a vacancy until after the 2030 election.

Where to read them

By April 30, 2027, the Clerk must also publish a report showing whether each candidate filed as required.

Think a campaign broke the rules?

An eligible voter who believes, on reasonable grounds, that a candidate broke the campaign finance rules can apply in writing to the City Clerk for a compliance audit. The application is due within 90 days after the March 30, 2027 filing date, which makes June 28, 2027 the last day.

Questions about Windsor's election records go to the Office of the City Clerk, which ran the election and receives the statements.

Windsor News will read the statements when they are filed and report what they show.

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