Register as a Candidate

1. Complete a Nomination Paper [PDF].
   
   
2. Collect at least 25 original handwritten signatures from eligible Markham voters endorsing your candidacy using the Endorsement of Nomination Form [PDF].
   • Prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to collect more than 25 signatures in case any are deemed incomplete or invalid.
   • An eligible Markham voter can endorse more than one candidate.
     
     
3. Contact vote@markham.ca to book your registration appointment to file your documents at Elections Markham Headquarters (Markham Civic Centre).
   
   
4. Bring original copies of acceptable identification (ID):
   • Photo ID (name and photo)
   • Proof of Canadian citizenship
   • Proof of qualifying Markham address
     
     
5. Pay the office's $100 registration fee.
   • Payments are accepted by credit or debit card, cash, or certified cheque or money order payable to ‘City of Markham’. Personal cheques are not accepted.
   • Registration fees are refunded after candidates file their post-election campaign financial statements.

Registrations are only accepted in person. If an agent is filing a nomination on your behalf, they must provide all of the above documents, a letter of authorization signed by you, and their own photo ID.

You can run for Ward Councillor if you are all of the following:

• At least 18 years old
• A Canadian citizen
• A Markham resident, landowner or tenant (or their spouse)
• Legally allowed to vote
• Not disqualified by law from holding elected office

Prospective City Council candidates are required to collect at least 25 original handwritten signatures from eligible Markham voters endorsing their candidacy using the Endorsement of Nomination Form [PDF]. Prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to collect more than 25 signatures in case any are deemed incomplete or invalid. An eligible Markham voter can endorse more than one candidate.

You can't be a candidate if you are:

• An employee of the City of Markham (unless you take an unpaid leave of absence before being nominated and resign if elected)
• A judge of any court
• A member of Ontario's Legislative Assembly or Canada's Senate or House of Commons
• An inmate of a penal or correctional institution
• Disqualified for previous violations of election campaign finance law

Prospective candidates are required to present acceptable identification (ID) showing their name, photo, Canadian citizenship status, and qualifying Markham address.

Only one piece of ID under each category is required. Some IDs satisfy multiple categories. For example, an Ontario driver’s licence or photo card can be used to prove name, photo and qualifying Markham address.

IDs are accepted when presented in their original format. ID documents are accepted for up to 3 months after their expiration date or issue date (if there is no expiration date).

Photo ID (name and photo)

• Ontario driver’s licence
• Ontario photo card
• Canadian passport
• NEXUS or FAST card

Proof of Canadian citizenship

• Canadian passport
• Canadian birth certificate
• Canadian citizenship card
• Certificate of Canadian citizenship
• Certificate of Canadian citizenship
• Certificate of naturalization
• Certificate of Indian Status
• NEXUS or FAST card

Proof of qualifying Markham address

• Ontario driver’s licence
• Ontario photo card
• Income or property tax assessment notice
• Vehicle ownership or permit
• Statement of government benefits receipt (e.g., Employment Insurance, Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board)
• Bank or credit card statement
• Cancelled personalized cheque
• Pension plan statement
• Insurance certificate, policy, or statement
• Loan or other agreement with a financial institution
• Pay stub or other record of current employment
• T4 or T4A tax slip
• Mortgage, rental or lease agreement for property
• Utility bill (e.g., hydro, water, gas, phone, internet)
• Admission letter, transcript, tuition / fees statement, or report card from a post-secondary institution
• Letter from any of the following
  • Student residence
  • Seniors’ residence
  • Long-term care facility
  • Shelter
  • Community-based residential facility
• Hospital record or card
• Card from a registered charity providing services to persons with disabilities
• Document issued or certified by an Ontario court
• Any other document from a department or agency of the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, Ontario municipality, or Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act

The name used on a candidate’s Nomination Paper [PDF] is the same one that will appear on the ballot.

Prospective candidates may request to be shown on the Nomination Paper and ballot by another name instead of or in addition to their legal name on their government-issued ID documents. This may include a shortened, abbreviated or familiar form of their first or last name, or a nickname.

A request to use an alternate name is accepted if the prospective candidate presents acceptable ID proving that they are commonly known by this name in their professional and/or social life. Acceptable IDs include:

• Invoices, bills and financial statements
• Debit cards, credit cards, and personal cheques
• Education certificates and diplomas
• Employee cards, professional ID badges, union cards, and professional licences
• Professional business cards
• Membership cards and passes
• Signs, flyers, and other promotional material from a previous election
• References in published documents including books, magazines, newspaper articles, and commentaries
• Official correspondence from a public or private sector organization
• Other documentation produced or acknowledged by a public or private sector organization deemed acceptable by Markham’s City Clerk

A request to use an alternate name will not be accepted if any of the following apply:

• The alternate name includes an occupation, degree, title, honour, adjective, descriptive word, phrase, brackets, quotation marks, or non-Latin characters
• The request is believed by Markham’s City Clerk to be made in bad faith and be any of the following:
  • Derogatory or offensive
  • Intended to confuse or mislead voters
  • Intended to manipulate the order in which the prospective candidate appears on the ballot

To withdraw from being a candidate:

1. Contact Elections Markham to make an appointment to withdraw your nomination at Elections Markham Headquarters (Markham Civic Centre)
2. Complete, sign and submit a Notice of Withdrawal form with Elections Markham by 2 PM on August 15, 2025.

Candidates who withdraw their candidacy are still required to file a post-election campaign financial statement with Elections Markham.

Nomination papers, endorsement signatures, and other documents filed with Elections Markham are viewable at Elections Markham Headquarters (Markham Civic Centre) during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding holidays).