Candidate and Third-Party Advertiser Registration for Markham Municipal Election Opens this Friday

MARKHAM, ON – April 27, 2026 – Candidate and third-party political advertiser registration for the 2026 Markham Municipal Election opens this Friday, May 1.

Nominations can be filed with Elections Markham for the following offices:
· Mayor (1 position)
· Regional councillor (4 positions)
· Ward councillor (8 positions)
· York Region District School Board trustee (4 positions)
· York Catholic District School Board trustee (2 positions)
Eligible persons looking to make a difference in their community are encouraged to run for elected office. Local governments and school boards deliver important services that residents and businesses rely on every day.

A person can be a candidate in the 2026 Markham Municipal Election if they are:
· At least 18 years old; and,
· A Canadian citizen; and,
· A resident, landowner, or tenant of Markham or the applicable school board jurisdiction; and,
· Not legally prohibited from running for office.
Candidates can submit their nomination online or book an in-person appointment through Election Markham’s secure nomination portal until August 21 at 2 PM. Step-by-step instructions are available at ElectionsMarkham.ca/CandidateRegistration.

Candidates will be required to show ID as proof of eligibility and pay a refundable registration fee. Before registering, candidates running for Markham City Council are required to collect at least 25 original handwritten endorsement signatures from eligible Markham voters using the form available from Elections Markham.

Nominations are also being accepted for French-language school board trustee offices (Conseil scolaire Viamonde and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir), which represent all of York Region. Nominations for these offices can be filed with the City of Vaughan. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/elections.

Have something to say about the election? Any person, corporation or trade union that plans to engage in paid activity that supports or opposes a candidate in the election needs to register as a third-party advertiser. Instructions on how to register and the rules around political advertising are available at ElectionsMarkham.ca/PoliticalAdvertising. The deadline to register as a third-party advertiser is October 23, 2026 at 5 PM.

Not sure if running for office is right for you? Elections Markham will be hosting a free information session on May 11 (noon to 2 PM) for persons thinking about becoming a candidate and third-party advertiser.
· In Person: Markham Civic Centre (Council Chambers), 101 Town Centre Boulevard, Markham, Ontario
· Online: Zoom (Register here)

Visit ElectionsMarkham.ca throughout the year for the latest and most reliable information about the 2026 Markham Municipal Election.

Key Dates:
· May 1, 2026, 9 AM – Candidate and third-party advertiser registration opens
· August 21, 2026, 2 PM – Candidate registration closes
· October 23, 2026, 5 PM – Third-party advertiser registration closes
Useful Links:
· Candidate Registration
· Political Advertising
· Register to Vote
· Donating to a Candidate’s Campaign