Information for Candidates
Candidate Nominations
A candidate is a person running to be a Member of Provincial Parliament, who has been issued a Certificate of Nomination from the Chief Electoral Officer during the standing nomination (s. 27.2) period, or from the Returning Officer (s. 27.1) prior to the close of nominations.
Eligible candidates will need to:
1. Complete and submit a Candidate Nomination PaperOpens in a new tab (F0400)
- Familiarize yourself with the Candidate’s GuideOpens in a new tab (F0405), Candidate Calendar and important dates
- You may file your Candidate Nomination PaperOpens in a new tab (F0400) either as a standing nomination with the Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario any time before the writ of election is issued (meaning an election is called) or to the Returning Officer of the electoral district where you want to stand for election after an election is called.
- Ensure you properly complete your nomination paper to receive your certificate of nomination.
- A certificate ceases to be valid if a writ of election is not issued within six months after the issuance of the certificate.
- You can only be a nominated candidate in one electoral district in the Province of Ontario.
- Familiarize yourself with the Election Act and the Election Finances Act to understand your obligations as a candidate.
Note: when submitting your nomination paper, you can also submit one piece of government issued photo ID.
2. Submit a privacy policy to Election Ontario for approval to receive List products.
You must submit a privacy policyOpens in a new tab to priv@elections.on.caOpens the default email client to receive List of Elector products.
The privacy policy must be submitted prior to the close of nominations.
The policy must be approved by Elections Ontario before you can receive the List of Elector products.
Note: if you are a candidate endorsed by a party, confirm with your party that they have a filed a privacy policy with Elections Ontario.
For more information, contact candidate@elections.on.caOpens the default email client.
To be eligible to be a candidate you must be:
- 18 years of age or older on election day;
- a Canadian citizen;
- a resident in Ontario for at least six months before election day; and
- not disqualified by the Legislative Assembly ActOpens in a new tab or any other legislation.
To become a candidate in an Ontario provincial election you must be nominated and receive a Certificate of Nomination (F0403).
Once you receive a Certificate of Nomination (F0403) and the writ(s) for an election has been issued:
- your name will appear on the ballot;
- your registered political party will appear on the ballot, if endorsed; and
- you will be registered according to the Election Finances ActOpens in a new tab and eligible to start financial activity.
There is no fee to become a candidate.
To be nominated as a candidate, you must complete the Candidate Nomination Paper (F0400)Opens in a new tab.
On the nomination paper you will need the signatures and addresses of at least twenty-five eligible electors in the electoral district in which you are running. These addresses will be verified by election officials when you file your papers.
When you complete your nomination paper, ensure that all information is typed or printed clearly, the information is accurate and the form is completed properly. Inaccurate information will cause delays.
Please note, you will not become a nominated candidate until the nomination paper has been approved and you have been issued a Certificate of Nomination (F0403).
If you are a candidate representing a registered political party and you want your party’s name to appear on the ballot beside your name, you need to submit an endorsement letter from the party’s leader with your nomination paper. A sample letter is provided with the Candidate Nomination Paper (F0400)Opens in a new tab.
If you have won a nomination contest or were appointed, please note that you will not be considered a candidate until you submit your Candidate Nomination Paper (F0400)Opens in a new tab.
As a candidate, if you need to change information filed on your nomination paper, you must complete a Nomination Statement of Change (F0401)Opens in a new tab form and submit it to the Returning OfficerOpens in a new tab in your electoral district.
As a candidate, if you want to voluntarily withdraw and you have filed your nomination paper, you must complete a Nomination Notice of Withdrawal (F0404)Opens in a new tab form and submit it to the Chief Electoral Officer or Returning Officer in your electoral district.
There is no fee to withdraw as a candidate.
Candidates that withdraw must still complete financial information under the Election Finances ActOpens in a new tab.
Before registering you must appoint a chief financial officer.
Before starting to campaign as a candidate, you should familiarize yourself with the campaign expense spending limits, as well as the rules for canvassing and for political advertising.
Candidates cannot accept contributions or incur expenses until the writs of election are issued and the candidate is registered under the Election Finances Act.
For a full list of rules and complete details on how to register as a candidate, please see the Candidates Guide. For additional details, including how to open a bank account, loans for the campaign and when a campaign can be financially active, please see the CFO Handbook for CandidatesOpens in a new tab.
There are also rules around where campaign offices can be located. The Chief Electoral Officer has determined that the location of any premises used by any candidate for elective office in the same building or enclosed structure, the same commercial, industrial, or residential complex, or within five hundred feet of an Elections Ontario local election office, would interfere with the proper conduct of the election.
For a candidate to receive List of Elector products a candidate or their affiliated party must have an approved privacy policy on file with Elections Ontario.
The Guidelines for the Use of Electoral ProductsOpens in a new tab provides information to political parties and candidates on the proper usage and handling of electoral products, including the steps that should be taken to protect the personal information of voters included in these products.
The Guidelines also include detailed information about drafting an acceptable privacy policy. Privacy policies must be submitted by the close of nominations and must be approved by Elections Ontario before any List of Elector products can be provided to a candidate.
The following guides and forms relate to the application and registration to be a candidate.
Guides:
Forms:
We can provide guides and forms in an alternative format upon request.