The County of Huron is a municipal corporation known as an upper tier municipality. Some of the services for which the County is responsible include public health and social services, county-wide library service, most arterial roads, and county land use planning and development. Local municipalities, such as the towns, villages and townships within the county, are responsible for providing residents with services such as waste disposal, animal control and water and sewage.

Huron County includes the following nine lower tier, or local municipalities:

• Corporation of the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
  (Formerly Ashfield, Colborne and West Wawanosh Townships)
• Corporation of the Municipality of Bluewater
  (Formerly Hay and Stanley Townships, plus the Villages of Bayfield, Hensall and Zurich)
• Corporation of the Municipality of Central Huron
  (Formerly Goderich and Hullett Townships, and the Town of Clinton)
• Corporation of the Town of Goderich
• Township of Howick
• Corporation of the Municipality of Huron East
  (Formerly Grey, McKillop and Tuckersmith Townships, Village of Brussels, and Town of Seaforth)
• Corporation of the Municipality of Morris - Turnberry
  (Formerly Morris and Turnberry Townships)
• Corporation of the Township of North Huron
  (Formerly Village of Blyth, Township of East Wawanosh, and Town of Wingham)
• Corporation of the Municipality of South Huron
  (Formerly Stephen and Usborne Townships and Town of Exeter)

Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the second Monday in November, as outlined by the Municipal Elections Act, 2001. The next municipal election will take place in 2014.

To be able to vote, your name must be on the list of eligible voters for your municipality. Anyone can vote in a municipal election who, on the day of the election is:

• Eighteen (18) years of age or older,
• A Canadian citizen; and
• Either the resident of the municipality, or a property owner or tenant, or the spouse or same sex partner of an owner or tenant in the municipality during a specified time prior to the election.

Detailed information about Municipal Elections, including an Ontario Municipal Elections Guide is available online. Questions about municipal elections may also be directed to your municipal clerk or the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Municipal Services Offices.