Candidate nomination and withdrawal deadline for the 2026 Municipal Elections is Friday, August 21 at 2 pm

The deadline to file or withdraw a nomination for the Office of Mayor, City Councillor or School Board Trustee in the 2026 Municipal Elections is Friday, August 21, at 2 pm.

Nomination forms must be filed in person by the candidate or their agent at the City of Ottawa’s Elections Office (1221 Cyrville Road, Unit B). 

Prospective candidates or their agents are encouraged to schedule an appointment to file their nomination forms and may contact the Elections Office by phone at 613-580-2660 or by email at elections@ottawa.ca in order to do so. 

To run in the 2026 Municipal Elections, candidates must:

1. File a completed Nomination Paper – Form 1.
2. File a completed Endorsement of Nomination - Form 2 (this includes a declaration of qualification from at least 25 eligible electors endorsing their nomination). Note: This form is only required for candidates for Mayor and City Councillor. Candidates for School Board Trustees are not required to complete this form.
3. Pay a filing fee when filing their nomination forms (by cash, debit, credit card, certified cheque or money order):
   • The filing fee for candidates running for Mayor is $200.
   • The filing fee for candidates running for City Councillor or School Board Trustee is $100.
4. Provide proof of identity.

Visit ottawa.ca/vote or contact the Elections Office for information on candidate eligibility and the list of nominated candidates.

A withdrawal of nomination must be submitted in writing with the original signature of the candidate, and in person by the candidate or their agent, at the Elections Office, by 2 pm on August 21.  

A candidate that has previously filed nomination forms and wishes to change office must file new nomination forms for their preferred office. These nomination forms must be filed in person by the candidate or their agent at the Elections Office by 2 pm on August 21. A candidate’s previous nomination is deemed to be withdrawn upon filing nomination forms for a different office.

Following the closing of the nomination period, the City Clerk will examine each filed nomination to ensure it meets the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and if satisfied, will certify the nomination by 4 pm on Monday, August 24. The list of certified candidates will be available on ottawa.ca/vote.

The registration deadline for third party advertisers is Friday, October 23, 2026, at 4:30 pm. An individual, corporation or trade union may register as a third party advertiser by filing a Notice of Registration - Third Party - Form 7 in person at the Elections Office. There is no registration fee for third party advertisers. Visit ottawa.ca/vote for more information on third party advertiser registration.

You can also learn more about the upcoming municipal elections by following Elections Ottawa on Facebook, Bluesky, X and Instagram.