Candidate Information | City of Pickering

Who Can be a Candidate?

To run for office, you must be eligible to vote in the election. On the day you file your nomination, you must be:

a Canadian citizen;
at least 18 years of age or older;
a resident in the City of Pickering or the owner or tenant of land there, or the spouse of such owner or tenant; and,
not ineligible under the Municipal Elections Act or any other Act or otherwise prohibited by law to be nominated for or to hold the office.

Who Cannot be a Candidate?

The following people are disqualified from being elected to municipal office:

any person who is not eligible to vote in the municipality
an employee of a municipality who has not taken an unpaid leave of absence and resigned
a judge of any court
an MP, an MPP, or a senator
an inmate serving a sentence in a penal or correctional institution

Are You Thinking of Running in the Next Municipal Election?

Candidate Information Sessions

The Regional Municipality of Durham is hosting a virtual Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) Candidate Information Session on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. There will be a virtual Q&A period at the end of the session. See below for details to register for the information session:

April 14, 2026

On March 25, 2026, the Regional Municipality of Durham hosted a virtual Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Candidate Information Session for persons interest in running in the upcoming municipal election or registering as a third party advertiser. The recording of that session and presentation slides can be found below:

Recording of Candidate Information Session Presentation Slides

Candidate Workshops

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is offering several free workshops for people thinking about running for municipal office in the 2026 Municipal Elections. These online workshops are for candidates seeking re-election or first-time aspiring candidates. See below to learn more:

Running for Municipal Office - Everything you need to Know as an Underrepresented Candidate Stronger Leaders, Stronger Communities Youth Considering Running For Municipal Office Urban Indigenous Peoples' Considering Running for Municipal Office

How do I File a Nomination?

Nominations may be filed in person or by an agent, on the prescribed Form, with the Office of the City Clerk beginning on Friday, May 1, 2026 until Friday, August 21, 2026, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and on Nomination Day, Friday, August 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, nominations must be:

filed using the prescribed Forms; and,
accompanied by the prescribed nomination filling fee.

The filing fee is $200.00 for the office of Mayor and $100.00 for all other offices. The filing fee is payable by cash, Debit, Visa, Mastercard, certified cheque, or money order.

When filing a nomination, candidates are required to present identification to confirm their name, photograph, and qualifying address within the City of Pickering. Candidates must provide either one piece of photo identification that includes both their name and qualifying address, or two pieces of identification: one showing their name and qualifying address, and a second showing their name and photograph. See the list of acceptable documents for identification.

If a nomination for a candidate is filed by an agent, they must submit the City's Form at the time of filing which authorizes the agent to file on behalf of the candidate. The Form must be signed by the candidate, and commissioned or notarized by a person authorized under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act or Notaries Act. In addition to this Form, an agent must also provide a copy of the candidate's ID to be retained on file.

No person who proposes to be a candidate may solicit or accept contributions for election purposes or incur campaign expenses until a nomination paper has been filed.

See the Call for Nominations.

Nomination Paper - Form 1

Endorsement Signatures

Nominations for an office on a Council must be endorsed by at least 25 eligible voters. Anyone providing an endorsement signature must be eligible to vote in Pickering on the day that they signed the endorsement. In addition to their endorsement, they will also be required to sign a declaration that they are eligible to vote in Pickering.

It is recommended that candidates obtain more then the required 25 endorsement signatures in case there are any issues during certification.

Endorsement Of Nomination - Form 2

Offices to be Elected

See the List of Offices to be Elected.

Election Signs

All Municipal Election candidates are responsible for reviewing the regulations governing the placement of election signage to ensure that any signage erected on their behalf complies with the provisions of the applicable Sign By-laws.

Office Consolidation - Election Sign By-law 7591/17 Municipal Election Sign Regulations - Information Sheet

Campaign Finances and Campaign Period

Each candidate who runs in a Municipal Election must file a Financial Statement with the City Clerk. These statements will be made public. The prescribed Financial Statement - Form 4 issued by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing can be accessed below.

Your campaign period beings on the day the City Clerk receives your nomination.

In most cases, your campaign will end on December 31, 2026. Exceptions are if you:

withdrew your nomination, your campaign ends on the date you informed the City Clerk in writing that you wanted to withdraw
were not certified as a candidate and your name did not appear on the ballot, your campaign ends on nomination day (August 21, 2026)
know you will not have any more financial activity, you can end your campaign at any time after voting day and before December 31, 2026

If you have extended your campaign to pay down a deficit, the end date for the extended campaign period will be the earliest of: