Municipal Election Candidates

In municipal elections in Ontario, unlike other levels of government, candidates are not elected to represent a political party. 

Eligible voters for municipal elections must be: 

• A Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old
• A resident OR a property owner or tenant OR the spouse of an owner or tenant in the municipality

Eligible candidates for municipal elections must be:

• A Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old 
• A resident of the municipality, a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such non-resident owner or tenant
• Not legally prohibited from voting; and not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

Candidates are also required to pay a fee of $100 ($200 for head of council) and those running in municipalities with more than 4,000 electors are also required to obtain 25 endorsement signatures when they submit their nomination.

To see the full Municipal Elections Rules and Guidelines, click here.