Information for Candidates

Microphone Voting Day is Monday, October 26, 2026

A candidate may file their nomination papers as of May 1, 2026 at 8:30 am. The last day to file is Nomination Day on August 21, 2026, closing at 2:00 pm.

The upcoming Municipal Election to elect a Mayor, Ward Councillors and School Board Trustees will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026. This four (4) year Term of Office starts November 15, 2026 and will end on November 14, 2030.

Any individual looking to run for Municipal Office or for a School Board Trustee must be considered an eligible candidate and complete the prescribed nomination procedures. Please note that individuals filing a nomination and/or their agents will be required to provide identification that shows name and qualifying address.

We strongly encourage you to call or email us in order to book an appointment to file your nomination papers.

Candidate Information Night Sessions

The Municipality of Port Hope is taking part in (2) Candidate Information Sessions for individuals interested in becoming a candidate or third-party advertiser in the upcoming 2026 Municipal Election.

These information sessions will provide prospective candidates with an overview of the rules and requirements under the Municipal Elections Act, along with helpful information about the role of an elected official, including the financial and personal commitments involved.

Candidate Information Night #1 (In-Person) (Hosted by the Municipality of Port Hope in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing)

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Council Chambers, Town Hall, 56 Queen Street, Port Hope, ON, L1A 3Z9

This session will be held in person and livestreamed on the Municipality of Port Hope's YouTube channel.

Candidate Information Night #2 (Hybrid) (Hosted by Northumberland County in partnership with local municipalities and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing)

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Council Chambers, Northumberland County Headquarters, 555 Courthouse Road, Cobourg, ON K9A 5J6
If you can't attend in-person, join this session virtually via Zoom:
- Virtual (Zoom) Meeting Details:
  - Join online via the Zoom Link
  - Join by phone (toll-free): 1-855-703-8985
  - Meeting ID: 819 5513 8257
  - Passcode: 709556

Registration is not required to attend these sessions.

Nominations for Office

Positions for Which a Person may File a Nomination Paper at the Municipal Office:

Positions Available

Municipal Office

Mayor (1) Elected At Large
Councillors (6)
- 4 Councillors - Ward 1 (URBAN)
- 2 Councillors - Ward 2 (RURAL)

School Board Trustees

English Language School Trustee
Two (2) Trustees to be elected for the combined area of Alnwick/Haldimand Township, Town of Cobourg, Hamilton Township and the Municipality of Port Hope.
Nominations shall be filed in the Town of Cobourg Municipal Clerk’s Office, 55 King Street, West, Cobourg.
English Separate School Trustee
One (1) Trustee to be elected for Northumberland County.
Nominations shall be filed in the Town of Cobourg Municipal Clerk’s Office, 55 King Street, West, Cobourg.
Conseil Scolaire Viamonde - French Public School Trustee
One (1) Trustee to be elected by French Public electors in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Counties of Northumberland, and Peterborough and Cities of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and Quinte West
Nominations shall be filed in the City of Oshawa Municipal Clerk’s Office, 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa
Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir - French Language Separate School Trustee
One (1) Trustee to be elected by all French Catholic Electors in the areas of the Region of Durham, County of Haliburton, County of Northumberland, County of Peterborough, City of Peterborough, City of Kawartha Lakes, and City of Quinte West.
Nominations shall be filed in the City of Oshawa Municipal Clerk’s Office, 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa.

To qualify as a candidate you must be:

A Canadian citizen;
At least 18 years old;
A resident in the Municipality of Port Hope, or;
A non-resident of the Municipality of Port Hope and you or your spouse own or rent property in the municipality;
Not legally prohibited from voting; and
Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

You are not eligible to run as a candidate if you are:

A judge of any court;
A member of the Provincial Legislature, the Federal House of Commons or Senate who has not resigned from their office by the close of nominations. Proof of resignation must be provided by the close of nominations or the Clerk will not certify the nomination;
A candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded the prescribed spending limit in the last municipal election or by-election.

Nomination Process

To run for Mayor or Ward Councillor for the 2026 Municipal Election, you must complete and file both the Nomination Paper (Form 1) and Endorsement Form* (Form 2), as established by the Province of Ontario. Instructions for opening these forms:

Nomination Paper (Form 1): Open the link, save the document to your computer, fill out form.
Endorsement Form (Form 2): Open the link, download the form to your computer, then open the form from your downloads with the Adobe program.

Applicable election forms can also be found on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Central Form Repository.

*You are encouraged to obtain more than the minimum 25 required signatures to help ensure compliance and account for any potential invalid or ineligible signatures.

If you are having issues accessing these forms, please open and download the form from your browser. Once downloaded, you will need to view the document on Adobe Reader 8 or higher.

When you file your nomination, you must:

Bring identification (for example, a driver's license); and
Pay the filing fee: $200 for Mayor or $100 for Ward Councillor or School Board Trustee**

Nominations can be filed from May 1, 2026 to 2:00 p.m. on August 21, 2026 (Nomination Day). During this period, the Municipal Clerk and Deputy Clerk are generally available for drop-in questions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

You must book an appointment to file your nomination. To book an appointment, call (905-885-4544) or email. This is in order for staff to review the contents of the Candidate Information Package with you, and answer any questions that you may have.

**Note: Those wishing to run for School Board Trustee must file their nomination with the Town of Cobourg Municipal Office, located at 55 King Street West, Cobourg. If you're running for school board trustee, you don't need to provide endorsement. Those wishing to run for French School Board Trustee must file their nomination with the City of Oshawa Municipal Office, located at 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa.

Frequently Asked Questions for Candidates

Question	Answer
I’m considering running for municipal office. Am I eligible?	You may run for Mayor or Councillor if, on the date you file your nomination papers, you meet all of the following requirements: A Canadian Citizen At least 18 years of age A resident of the Municipality of Port Hope or an owner or tenant of land in the Municipality of Port Hope, or the spouse of the owner or tenant Not legally prohibited from voting Not disqualified by any legislation from holding Municipal Office
What do I need to submit for a nomination to be considered complete?	To file a nomination, you must provide all of the following: A completed Nomination Paper (Form 1) An Endorsement of Nomination (Form 2) with at least 25 endorsement declarations. Endorsements are required for Mayor and Councillor candidates only. You are encouraged to collect at least 35 endorsement declarations in case some endorsements are found to be invalid or incomplete. Valid identification (as applicable) The nomination filing fee, payable by cash, debit, or certified cheques, money orders and bank drafts, made payable to: The Municipality of Port Hope The filing fee is $200 for Mayor candidates and $100 for Councillor or School Board Trustee candidates Nomination fees are refunded once the candidate files the required financial statement by the deadline and in accordance with Section 34 of the Municipal Elections Act.
How do I submit my nomination package?	Nominations must be filed by appointment with the Office of the Municipal Clerk. Appointments are available from May 1, 2026 to August 20, 2026 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and can be scheduled by emailing clerk@porthope.ca or calling 905.885.4544. If you wish to file on Nomination Day (August 21, 2026), an appointment is recommended but not required. Nomination packages will be accepted by the Municipal Clerk/Returning Officer at Town Hall from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Packages submitted after 2:00 p.m. on Nomination Day will not be accepted. Once your nomination papers/package are filed, you may begin campaigning.
Do I need a separate campaign bank account, and how do I set up one up?	Yes. Before you accept any contributions or incur campaign expenses, you must open a separate dedicated campaign bank account at a financial institution. This account must be used only for campaign-related deposits and payments to meet the financial requirements under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. A letter for financial institutions is included in the Candidate Information Package to assist you in setting up the account. Please provide this letter to your financial institution so that they can set up the appropriate bank account for you. We strongly recommend that you do not add any donations into a personal bank account. Use your campaign finance account for all campaign related expenses.
If I run for office, do I have to file a financial statement?	Yes. All candidates must keep accurate records of all campaign-related financial transactions and a Financial Statement (Form 4). For an active campaign, the statement must report all financial activity from the date your nomination paper is filed through to the end of the campaign period. Key deadlines: Tuesday, March 30, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. – deadline to file the initial financial statement. Thursday, April 29, 2027 at 2:00 p.m. – the end of the 30-day grace period to file the initial statement with the $500 late filing fee. Additional deadlines may apply in certain circumstances.
Can I use municipal resources in my campaign (e.g., the municipal logos, photos taken at municipal facilities, etc.)?	No. Municipal resources, including the municipal logo and other corporate materials – are the property of the Corporation of the Municipality of Port Hope and are not permitted to be used in campaign-related materials or activities. Please refer to the Corporate Use of Resources for Election Purposes Policy for details.
When can election signs be put up, and where are they allowed in the Municipality?	Under By-law 17/2005, election signs are permitted: Within eight (8) weeks prior to the date of the municipal election. The by-law also requires that: All election signs must be removed by the candidate or candidate’s agent within one (1) week after Election Day. This means election signs are not permitted before August 31, 2026, and must be removed by November 2, 2026.
Who is allowed to contribute to my campaign?	You may accept contributions only from individuals who are normally residents in Ontario. Corporations and trade unions are not permitted to contribute to candidates. If your spouse is not normally a resident in Ontario, they can still contribute to your campaign, but they cannot contribute to any other candidate. Organizations or groups (such as clubs, associations or ratepayer groups) cannot make contributions. However, individual members of these groups may contribute only in a personal capacity and from their own funds. Candidates must verify that every contribution they accept complies with the Municipal Elections Act and must not accept any contribution that does not.
I’ve filed my nomination but no longer want to run, what do I need to do?	If you decided not to continue as a candidate in the Municipality of Port Hope’s 2026 Municipal and School Board Election, you must submit a Withdrawal of Nomination (Form EL19) to the Municipal Clerk/Returning Officer before the close of the nomination period (2:00 p.m. on August 21, 2026). Once the nomination period has ended, candidates cannot withdraw. If you decide to withdraw your nomination, you are still required to file your financial statement by the deadline. In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, if you fail to file your financial statement by the deadline, you will not be eligible to run for office until the next regular election has taken place.
I have filed my nomination, but I want to change the office that I am running for.	If you have decided to run for a different office, you must withdraw your current nomination by 2:00 pm. on August 21 (see question above) and submit a new Nomination Paper (Form 1) for the office you wish to seek. You must also file a new Endorsement of Nomination Form (Form 2) with at least 25 new endorsement declarations. You are encouraged to collect at least 35 endorsement declarations in case some endorsements are found to be invalid or incomplete.