Candidate Information

Please review the Ontario Municipal Councillor's Guide to learn about the roles and responsibility of a municipal council member.

The Term of Office is from November 15, 2026 to November 14, 2030.

Please visit the Eligibility to run for election page of the 2026 Candidates’ Guide.

You will be able to file your nomination starting Friday May 1, 2026 at the Municipal Administration Centre during regular business hours – Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The last day to file a nomination is Friday, August 21, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. and must filed by 2 p.m.

To make an appointment to file your nomination papers, please contact the Clerk by email or 519-396-3468 ext. 7111

The fee to file a nomination is $200 to run for Mayor and $100 for all other positions. This fee must be paid to the Clerk at the time you submit your nomination form.

It can be paid by certified cheque, cash, money order or debit.

Before filing your nomination, please review the nominations page  of the 2026 Candidates’ Guide. Remember every person who wants to be a candidate must file nomination papers prior to receiving any campaign contributions and/or expending any funds on a campaign.

To file your nomination, you must give the following to your municipal clerk:

• a completed nomination form - Form 1 - Nomination Form
• the nomination fee - $200 to run for Mayor and $100 for all other positions
• completed endorsement of nomination forms - Form 2 - Endorsement of Nomination for council candidates

You will be required to show identification to prove that you are eligible to be nominated.

You will also be required to submit:

• Candidate’s Consent to Release Personal Information - Form EL12]

To make an appointment to file your nomination papers, please contact the Clerk at clerk@kincardine.ca or 519-396-3468 ext. 7111

Prior to 4:00 p.m. on the Monday following Nomination Day (August 24, 2026), the Municipal Clerk shall examine each nomination filed, and if satisfied the person qualified to be nominated and that the nomination complies with the Municipal Elections Act, the Municipal Clerk shall certify as such on the nomination field.

If not satisfied, the Municipal Clerk shall reject the nomination and give notice to the person who sought to be nominated and all other candidates for that office.

The Municipal Clerk's decision to certify or reject a nomination is final. The Municipal Clerk will consider the following criteria to reject individual nominations:

• Candidate has refused or declined to provide proof of identification
• Candidate does not satisfy the requirements set out in the Municipal Elections Act in Section 29 (1)
• The nomination form is incomplete
• The filing fee has not been paid
• The necessary financial disclosure was not filed for the previous election in which the individual may have been a candidate.

Please ensure you have read the 2026 Candidates’ Guide - Ontario municipal council and school board elections to ensure you are eligible to run.