Becoming a Candidate
Thinking About Serving Your Community as an Elected Official?
The nomination period is now closed. See the complete list of certified and acclaimed candidates for the 2022 Newmarket Municipal Election.
It can be a fulfilling experience to serve your community. A strong local government needs dedicated, well-informed, ethical leaders that are committed to their communities. You might decide to run for office to be actively involved in local decision-making, contribute your expertise and skills to the community, solve concerns, or lead change in your community, among other reasons.
While working in local government can be incredibly rewarding, potential candidates must carefully consider the time commitments and responsibilities that come with the elected position. This online resource is designed to help those considering running for election in the 2022 Town of Newmarket Municipal Election with understanding the qualifications, requirements, and procedures involved in the process.
In order to run in this election, nomination forms and registration documents must be submitted and a meeting with election staff be held before 2:00 p.m. on August 19, 2022. Learn more on the Filing a Nomination page
Member of Council
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:
- A Canadian citizen;
- At least 18 years old;
- A resident of Newmarket or the owner or tenant of property, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and,
- Not disqualified by any legislation from holding office.
Ineligibility
The following people are not permitted to be elected as Members of Council:
- An employee of the Town except during an authorized unpaid leave of absence (the leave of absence must begin prior to filing the nomination form);
- A person who is not an employee of the municipality but who is the Returning Officer/Clerk, Treasurer, Integrity Commissioner, Auditor General, Ombudsman or registrar, a closed meeting investigator, or who holds any administrative position of the municipality.
- A judge of any court.
- A member of the Assembly as provided in the Legislative Assembly Act or of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada.
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
- eligible to vote for the school board they wish to run for
- 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.
If a person wishes to run as a candidate in the 2022 Town of Newmarket municipal election, they must file a nomination form with the Elections Office. The first day to file a nomination for the next municipal general election will be Monday, May 2, 2022. Appointments are required. Call 905-953-5300 ext. 2210 or email: elections@newmarket.ca
A person cannot raise or spend money on an election campaign until they have officially filed their nomination with the Town. Learn more on the Filing a Nomination page
The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has produced a guide to help municipal elected officials understand their roles, accountabilities and responsibilities.
Below is a link to this resource:
Find out how to run as a candidate in Ontario municipal council and school board elections.
2022 Candidates Guide for Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections
