Information for Candidates

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 Act 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 Act and eligible to start financial activity.

There is no fee to become a candidate.

Prospective candidates wishing to file their Candidate Nomination Paper (F0400) must do so in person at a local election office by bringing one piece of government-issued photo ID no later than 2 PM (Eastern Time) on February 13, 2025. 

Local election office information:

Use Voter Information Service to find your local election office and voting location information.

Local election office hours:

• Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 8 PM (Eastern Time) and on Sundays from noon to 5 PM (Eastern Time).
• On election day, February 27, from 9 AM to 9 PM (Eastern Time). 

On the nomination paper you will need the names, home addresses and signatures 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).

Effective immediately, prospective candidates may request an exemption to the in-person requirement by following the following process:

1. A prospective candidate or party seeking an exemption from the in-person requirement must submit a written request to the Returning Officer of the electoral district in which the candidate plans to run. In their request, they must indicate reasons why the candidate cannot file in person at the local election office.
   • Prospective candidates should contact the Returning Officer directly.
   • The prospective candidate can also call 1.888.668.8683 if they cannot reach the Returning Officer.
2. The Returning Officer will determine whether the rationale provided for the exemption request is sufficient. 
3. If the Returning Officer determines that an exemption should be granted, they will advise the prospective candidate accordingly. 
4. The prospective candidate must submit their Candidate Nomination Paper (F0400) and a copy of their government-issued photo ID via an encrypted email (for privacy protection). The Returning Officer will schedule a video conference call with the prospective candidate, during which the candidate must appear on camera to meet with the Returning Officer to process their documents.
5. Following the satisfactory completion of the steps outlined above, the nomination will be processed as usual.

This process is in addition to Elections Ontario’s obligation to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Where a prospective candidate is unable to comply with the in-person requirement as a result of a disability, they must inform the Returning Officer of the need for a disability-related accommodation and the Returning Officer will ensure that their disability-related needs are accommodated.

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).

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).

As a candidate, if you need to change information filed on your nomination paper, you must complete a Nomination Statement of Change (F0401) form and submit it to the Returning Officer 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) 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 Act. 

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 Candidates.

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 Products 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. 

A provincial general election has been called. Election day is February 27.

The Candidate Calendar provides key dates during the writ period relevant to a candidate.

Calendar:

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.