East St. Paul voters concerned over election transparency months before voting

The R.M. of East St. Paul signage is seen on July 9, 2026. (Joseph Bernacki/CTV News Winnipeg)

Some residents of a Manitoba community are questioning the community’s decision to not publicize candidates who are seeking election until a month before the polls open.

Brian Wachko threw in his hat for the East St. Paul council this fall. He registered last week hoping to find out who he would be running against for Ward 2.

However, a decision from the rural municipality means he won’t know until weeks before election night. The rural municipality has decided to not publish who is running until late September and that includes incumbents.

“People want to know either way if they’re committing to another term or if they’re not going to commit to another term, and prepare the community so that others maybe can take the reins,” Wachko said on Thursday.

Voters in East St. Paul head to the polls on Oct. 28. Candidates could register as of June 30.

Wachko said residents have the right to know, especially if they are showing up on doorsteps claiming to be candidates.

“There’s no way for that resident to contact an elections person and confirm if that’s an actual registered candidate,” he said.

Residents in the community feel the move lacks transparency.

“We don’t have a little bit of further information to be able to understand who is running, what they are about, what their platforms are,” said Jason Henkel, an East St. Paul resident.

“The more time residents have to be able to look into this would be beneficial.”

In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson from the R.M. of East St. Paul says the 2026 municipal election is being run in accordance with the Municipal Councils and School Boards Elections Act written in provincial law.

“Municipalities and senior election officials should not be left to interpret the legislation differently,” the spokesperson said.

“Clear, consistent guidance from the province would ensure the election process is administered uniformly across Manitoba.”

The rural municipality declined an interview when asked as to why they would not reveal candidates’ names until late September.

Glen Simard, Manitoba’s minister of municipal and northern relations, said the legislation does not require confirmation of candidates to be made public before nominations but said it is useful to citizens.

“Our advice has consistently been that providing this information early is a best practice that supports openness, fairness and public trust,” he said in a statement.

The decision is drawing criticism from political science experts who study Manitoba’s elections.

“If this were done in Winnipeg for city council, there would be a huge outcry,” said Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Manitoba.

Adams said it’s only fair for candidates to know early on who they are up against to make a better decision.

“Candidates need to know who else is in the ring,” he said.

“If they don’t know who’s in the ring, then they can’t make a proper judgment as to whether or not to jump into a race.”