Filing a Nomination
Begin by Becoming Familiar with the Requirements
The Candidate nomination & campaign period for the 2026 Municipal Election begins on May 1st.
This year Newmarket is offering a secure, online Election Portal for candidates to file their nomination forms, upload ID, book their nomination meeting, and check the status of an application. Please email elections@newmarket.ca for more information if you are interested in becoming a candidate.
For general information on the elections process please visit the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) website.
The Town of Newmarket issues a Candidate Guide prior to the nomination period each election. This guide assists individuals intending to stand for elected office in the upcoming Town of Newmarket municipal election. Be sure to check back regularly for the 2026 Newmarket Candidate Guide.
Candidates are responsible for ensuring they are familiar with the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act. Prospective candidates must satisfy themselves, through their own determination and own legal advice, that they comply with the legislation and any regulations, and that they are in fact qualified and not disqualified by law to seek elected office. A copy of the Municipal Elections Act is available for candidates from the Legislative Services Department, upon request. It is also available online at https://www.ontario.ca/laws
Candidates must comply with all requirements related to election campaign financing. In addition, candidates are advised to refer to the guide published by the Province – the 2026 Candidates’ Guide for Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections. The Provincial guide provides both general information and financial reporting requirements under the Municipal Elections Act.
For the 2026 Municipal Election, members will be elected for the period beginning November 15th, 2026 and ending, November 14, 2030 for the following offices:
- Mayor
- Deputy Mayor and Regional Councillor
- Councillor, Ward 1
- Councillor, Ward 2
- Councillor, Ward 3
- Councillor, Ward 4
- Councillor, Ward 5
- Councillor, Ward 6
- Councillor, Ward 7
- York Region District School Board Trustee
- York Catholic District School Board Trustee
- Conseil scolaire du Viamonde[1]
- Conseil scolaire de Catholique MonAvenir[2]
[1] Nomination forms for this office must be submitted to the Clerk of the City of Vaughan.
[2] Nomination forms for this office must be submitted to the Clerk of the City of Vaughan.
Qualifications for Members of Council are set out in Section 256 of the Municipal Act, 2001 and Section 17 of the Municipal Elections Act.
In order to run for office on Newmarket Town Council a person must be, at the time of nomination:
School Board Trustee
To run for any of the four school boards on the day the nomination paper is filed, a person must be:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18 years of age
- a resident in the area of jurisdiction* of the board
- not legally prohibited from voting
- not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office
Ineligibility
The following people are not permitted to be elected as a school board trustee, or from holding office on any school board:
- a clerk, treasurer, deputy-clerk or deputy-treasurer of any municipality within the area of jurisdiction of the school board except those on an unpaid leave of absence
- a member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination
- a candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in the last municipal election or by-election
- Employees of any school board (including supply teachers) are disqualified from being elected as school board trustee or from holding office on any school board, except during a leave of absence.
- The employee must be on a leave of absence before filing their nomination form.
- They must provide the Clerk with documentation showing that they have taken the leave of absence and the effective date.
Prior to receiving any campaign contributions and prior to spending any funds on a campaign, persons wishing to become a candidate must file a nomination form.
Completed forms may be submitted via the Town’s secure, online portal starting May 1, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. Prospective candidates must contact elections@newmarket.ca to gain access to the portal.
The final deadline day for filing is August 21, 2026 at 2 p.m. The time displayed by the Legislative Services Department electronic clock shall be the record of time that a candidate files his/her nomination form.
Individuals who wish to register as a candidate must contact elections@newmarket.ca or by telephone at 905-953-5251 for instructions on how to file using the Town’s secure, online Election Portal for electronic filing. Alternatively, potential candidates can still choose to file their nominations in-person at the Town of Newmarket Municipal Office (395 Mulock Drive), by appointment only.
*New for 2026* Prospective candidates will have access to a convenient online Election Portal to file their nominations and booking system to book their nomination meetings. Candidates may select virtual or in-person meetings. All required documents, including ID, will need to be submitted prior to the nomination meeting with election staff.
Individuals who wish to register as a candidate must contact elections@newmarket.ca or by telephone at 905-953-5251 to gain access to the online portal and booking system.
Potential candidates can choose to file their nomination either online or in-person at the Town of Newmarket Municipal Office (395 Mulock Drive).
Anyone wishing to run for any of the following offices must file their nomination application with the Town of Newmarket before August 21st at 2PM: Mayor, Deputy Mayor/Regional Councillor, Ward Councillor, School Board Trustee English Public (York Region District School Board) and English Catholic (York Catholic District School Board).
Once all forms and ID documents have been submitted, an nomination meeting must be scheduled with election staff. Candidate nomination meetings with Town election staff are by appointment only and can be booked through our online booking system.
These meetings may be booked as virtual or in-person appointments. Drop-ins are not available. Contact the Election Office by email at elections@newmarket.ca or by telephone at 905-953-5251 for more information and to gain access to the Election Portal.
Once the meeting is booked, prospective candidates will receive an email confirmation from Election Staff. The email will provide a confirmation of the date, time, meeting location and log-in details for those who have selected a virtual Zoom appointment.
2026 Election – All candidate documentation can be submitted electronically using the Town’s new secure online platform, prior to the nomination meeting.
Candidates filing a nomination must submit acceptable identification prior to their scheduled nomination meeting with the Town of Newmarket elections office. The identification provided must meet the following three criteria. They may be met through two or three pieces of identification.
- Photo Identification
- Ontario Driver’s Licence, Ontario Photo Card, Canadian Passport, Certificate of Indian Status, etc.
- Proof of Canadian citizenship
- Canadian Passport, Canadian Birth Certificate, Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, Citizenship Card, etc.
- Proof of qualifying address
- Ontario Driver’s Licence, Photo Card, property tax bill, utility bill, insurance policy, pay stub from current employer, document from a Band Council in Ontario, etc.
Note: Valid Ontario Driver’s Licence and Canadian Passport are most commonly used as identification
If you are filing as an agent of a candidate, you must present any piece of government-issued identification showing your name and signature as well as identification for the candidate following the criteria above.
The nomination filing fee is $200 to run for the office of Mayor and $100 for all other offices. This fee may be paid online through the Election Portal once all required documentation has been submitted and accepted by the Election Office, following the candidate meeting.
Alternatively, the fee may be paid at the Customer Service counter at the Municipal Offices using debit or credit between regular business hours or via certified cheque or money order, payable to ‘Treasurer, Town of Newmarket’.
A candidate is entitled to receive a refund of the nomination filing fee if he or she files their financial statements with the Returning Officer/Clerk by the filing date. The deadline to file financial statements is 2 p.m. on March 30, 2027.
The filing fee is $200 for candidates running for Mayor and $100 for Councillor or School Board Trustee candidates
The candidates listed below are in default of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 . This means that they cannot run or be appointed to any municipal office until after the next general election.
| Last Name/Single Name | First Name | Reason for Default |
|---|---|---|
| Emanuel | Chris | Did not file required financial statement |
| Singh | Rohit | Did not file required financial statement |
| Vlasis | Bessie | Did not file required financial statement |