Who Can Be A Candidate?
- Candidates must be a resident of the municipality or a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the municipality or the spouse of such non-resident owner or tenant;
- a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old;
- not legally prohibited from voting; and not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office;
- You will need to pay a fee of $100 for Councillor, $200 for mayor.
AMO Information Sessions
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) offers a series of workshops for those considering running for municipal office in the 2026 election. These include:
Resources for Candidates
The Province of Ontario has the following resource guides available:
- 2026 Candidates' Guide - Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections
- 2026 Third-Party Advertisers' Guide - How to Register in the Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections
- Municipal Councillor's Guide
The Guides above provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of an elected member of council in Ontario.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) offers a guide to running for municipal council, titled Lead Where You Live 2026. This PDF is free to download.
You can find more election information on the AMO Municipal Elections website.