Candidates

• Nomination Paper (Form 1)
• Endorsement of Nomination Form (Form 2)
• Instructions for submitting the Personal Information Release and Candidate Information Change Forms
• Voters’ List Request Form 

• Municipality of Clarington Candidates’ Manual (incl. Statutory Notices and Preliminary Certificates)

• Clarington Election Signs Summary
• Clarington Election Sign By-law
• Notice to Broadcasters and Publishers

• Financial Statement – Candidate (Form 4)
• Financial Statement – Subsequent Expenses (Form 5)
• Notice of Extension of Campaign Period (Form 6)
• Letter to Banks – Municipal Campaign Account

• Withdrawal of Nomination
• Scrutineer Appointment and Oath Form

• Clarington Municipal Elections Clerk’s Procedures and Rules
• Clarington’s Use of Corporate Resources for Election Purposes Policy
• Clarington Library and Museums’ Use of Corporate Resources for Election Purposes Policy
• Clarington’s Respectful Conduct Policy 

• Clarington’s Municipal Elections Accessibility Plan

• Association of Municipalities of Ontario – Lead Where You Live: A Guide to Running for Municipal Council 
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs – Candidates’ Guide for Ontario Municipal and School Board Elections 
• Letter to Regional Council Candidates – Long-Term Care Committee of Management 

At the time of filing their Nomination, the candidate shall:  

• Be a Canadian citizen.  
• Be at least 18 years of age.  
• Be a resident of the Municipality of Clarington, or the owner or tenant of land in the Municipality of Clarington or the spouse of the owner or tenant of land in the Municipality of Clarington.  
• Not be disqualified for violations of financial requirements or violations of requirements for filing financial information.  
• Not be disqualified by any Act from holding such office. 

By Profession 

• Provincial Employees
  • S. 90 of the Public Services of Ontario Act says yes for ‘specially restricted public servant if authorized’.
  • S. 101 of the Public Services of Ontario Act says yes, but if elected they would be terminated if termination is warranted, which is determined by the Ethics Executive.
  • S. 79 of the Public Services of Ontario Act says an unpaid leave of absence is required if they are going to solicit funds or comment publicly, but municipal is specifically left out of the “become a candidate”, subsection, which only lists becoming a candidate in a federal or provincial election. 
• Federal Employees
  • S. 115 of the federal Public Service Employment Act says yes if permission is obtained from the Commission. 
• Teachers for School Board Trustees
  • S. 30 of the Municipal Elections Act (MEA) says yes if you take an unpaid leave of absence beginning the day they are nominated. Shall give Board written notice, in advance, of their intention to take unpaid leave. Deemed to have resigned from the employment immediately before making the declaration of office (also applies if they are elected to a different board). 
• Municipal Employees for Council
  • S. 30 of the MEA says yes if you take an unpaid leave of absence beginning the day they are nominated. Shall give Council written notice, in advance, of their intention to take unpaid leave. Deemed to have resigned from the employment immediately before making the declaration of office (also applies if they are elected to a different Council). 
• Not an Employee of Municipality but is the Clerk, Treasurer, Integrity Commissioner, Auditor General, Ombudsman or Registrar Closed Meeting Investigator.
  • S. 258(1)1 of the Municipal Act says no. 
• Police Officers
  • S. 9-11 of O. Reg. 402/23 (Political Activity) under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 says yes, with an approved unpaid leave of absence (not required if it is for a different municipality), but conditions apply. Conditions also apply to resignation.
• Volunteer Firefighters
  • S. 30(7) of the MEA says they are not employees and therefore don’t need to take an unpaid leave of absence. 
• Judges
  • S. 258(1)2 of the Municipal Act says no.
• Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Senate or House of Commons 
  • S. 258(1)3 of the Municipal Act says no. 
• Public Servant (defined under Part V of the Public Service of Ontario Act)
  • S. 258(1)4 of the Municipal Act says no. 
• Justices of the Peace
  • S. 19 of the Justices of the Peace Act says a Justice of the Peace shall not engage in any other remunerative work without the approval of the Review Council. 
• On-air/TV/Radio Personalities
  • The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Guidelines for TV and Radio Broadcasters and TV Service Providers during an Election states:
    • “On-air personalities who become electoral candidates, whether they are employed on radio, television or community channels, even if their exposure is solely in the role of commercial announcer, have an unfair advantage over their opponents. These candidates should be removed from their on-air duties during the election period or on the date their candidacies are announced, whichever is later. Offering a similar on-air opportunity to an on-air candidate’s opponents is no longer an option.”
    • Interestingly, “Election period is defined in the Radio Regulations, 1986 and the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987 as, in the case of a municipal election, the period beginning two months before the date of the election and ending on the date the election is held.” 

Other Ineligibilities 

• Serving a Sentence of Imprisonment 
  • S. 17(3)1 of the MEA says they are prohibited from voting if they are serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution (including evenings or weekends; does not include house arrest). Since candidates must be qualified to vote for the office on Voting Day, this makes them ineligible.
• Corporations
  • S. 17(3)2 of the MEA says a corporation is prohibited from voting, and s. 29(1) requires that a candidate be eligible/qualified and not otherwise ineligible under any Act. In practice, corporations cannot be nominated for office. 
• Acting as Executor/Trustee or in Another Representative Capacity
  • S. 17(3)3 of the MEA says a person acting as executor or trustee or in another representative capacity is prohibited from voting (except as a voting proxy). Since candidates must be qualified to vote for the office on Voting Day, this makes them ineligible. 
• Convicted of a Corrupt Practice (Municipal Elections Act, 1996)
  • S. 90(3) of the MEA: conviction for the corrupt practice described in s. 90(3) makes the person ineligible to vote (and therefore ineligible to be a candidate) for a set period (see the section for timing rules).
  • S. 91(1) of the MEA: if convicted of the corrupt practice described in s. 91(1), the person is ineligible to be nominated for, elected to, or appointed to any office until after the next two regular elections after the election the offence relates to (subject to the exception in s. 91(2)). 
• Campaign Finance Penalties
  • Ineligible Due to Campaign Finance Filing/Default Penalties (Municipal Elections Act, 1996) – various sections (88.23 to 88.31)
  • The MEA includes automatic penalties tied to campaign finance compliance (e.g., failing to file a financial statement by the end of the grace period / failing to obtain a court extension, exceeding the spending limit, and failing to turn over surplus). These penalties can include forfeiture of office (if elected) and ineligibility to run or be appointed to fill a vacancy until after a future regular election (see the “Compliance and enforcement” section of the Ontario 2026 Candidates’ Guide for the plain-language summary). 

At the time of filing their nomination, the candidate shall: 

• Be a Canadian citizen. 
• Be at least 18 years of age. 
• Be a resident within the area of jurisdiction of the school board. 
• Not be disqualified for violations of financial requirements or violations of requirements for filing financial information. 
• Not be disqualified by any Act from holding such office. 
• Not be disqualified under the provisions of Section 219(4) of the Education Act. 

No, only candidates filing with the Municipality of Clarington for the office of Mayor, Regional Councillor, and Local Councillor are required to file 25 endorsements to accompany their nomination form. School board trustee candidates are not required to submit endorsement signatures. 

The Election Sign By-law considers public parks (including road allowances) part of public property and election signs are not allowed on public property. For further clarification, the definition of public parks includes any areas for recreation, leisure, sports centers or gardens and includes any areas under the authority of any level of government. 

The voters' list will be available to candidates who request a copy on September 1, 2026, through the Candidate Portal. Candidates will receive training on how to use the Candidate Portal. 

A Candidate may only use the Voters’ List for the purposes permitted under the Act. They must ensure that, on or before the day their election campaign period ends under subsection 88.24(1), they will:  

• Destroy the voters’ list provided to them, whether in electronic or other form;  
• Destroy any printed copies of the voters’ list that are returned to them by any person to whom they have supplied a copy; and  
• Obtain written acknowledgements of destruction from every person to whom I supplied a printed copy of the voters’ list. 

Candidates may share the voters’ list only after obtaining a written acknowledgement from each recipient confirming it will be used solely for electoral purposes, not shared further, and properly returned or destroyed. Candidates must track all sharing and keep all acknowledgements and destruction confirmations for the term of office of Council and until the newly elected Council is organized, in accordance with subsection 23(8) of the MEA. 

The Election Archives contains the results and candidate financial statements of previous Clarington elections. 

View the Municipal Election Sign Information to read the election sign rules. 

In accordance with the Act and Clarington’s Election Sign By-law, the mandatory minimum information required on an advertisement is that it shall identify the candidate. Provided a candidate’s full name or ‘name as it will appear on the ballot’ is on the election sign, the Municipality of Clarington will consider that the sign has met the requirement set out in the Act and the by-law. 

Yes, if you submit your financial statements in accordance with the legislated timelines. 

Yes, you still need to complete a Financial Statement - Auditor's Report Candidate - Form 4 by the deadline. There is a box to indicate “I did not accept any contributions or incur any expenses,” and you will need to complete a few sections of the Form. 

www.clarington.net/votes 
votes@clarington.net 
905-697-4747 
Visit: Municipal Clerk’s Division, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville (Wicket 8 and 9)