2026 Municipal Election Filing of Nominations and Candidate Campaigns

The “Municipal Elections Act, 1996” (herein “the Act”), as amended, provides that every eligible person who wishes to be a candidate in the 2026 Municipal Election, to be held on Monday, October 26, 2026, shall file a Nomination Paper with the Municipal Clerk of the municipality responsible for the office they plan to run for.

Nomination period opens on Friday, May 1, 2026, and closes on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Under the Act, a candidate’s election campaign period begins on the day they file their Nomination Paper. Candidates cannot accept or make contributions, and cannot incur any expenses, until their Nomination Paper is filed. Money, goods and services given to and accepted by, or on behalf of, a candidate for their election campaign are considered contributions. 

Offices Open for Nomination

The following offices are open for nominations across the Region of Waterloo and its school boards:

• Regional Chair
• Regional Councillor for Cambridge, Kitchener or Waterloo
• Mayor
• Ward Councillor
• Waterloo Region District School Board Trustee
• Waterloo Catholic District School Board Trustee

For School Board (Public, Separate, French Public, French Separate):

• Please consult the municipalities website for the school trustee position you wish to represent to confirm where nominations are to be filed.

 For Regional Municipality of Waterloo Offices:

• Regional Chair and Regional Councillor: File in person with the Regional Clerk at 150 Fredrick Street, Kitchener, Ontario.

Nomination Procedure

Nomination procedures, required forms, and filing locations may differ between municipalities. Candidates are responsible for ensuring they follow the correct process and meet all legislative requirement such as endorsement signatures and a filing fee.

All interested candidates should contact the appropriate Municipal Clerk to obtain detailed instructions on how and where to file their Nomination Paper, confirm required documentation, and the office’s hours of operation.

For region-wide election information, visit:  https://www.wrvotes.com or contact the Clerk’s Office for the municipality where you plan to file your nomination:

Attachments

26-008