A person is entitled to be a candidate for Mayor or Councillor if they are:

• a Canadian Citizen;
• 18 years or older;
• Qualify as a resident or non-resident elector
  • Resident elector (live in municipality, own, rent, live in shared accommodation)
  • Non-resident elector (own or rent property but not where you live)
  • Spouse of a non-resident elector (spouse owns or rents property in the municipality)

• a person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institute
• a corporation
• a person acting as an executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity
• a person who ceases to be a Canadian citizen
• a person who is not a resident, the owner or tenant of land or the spouse of an owner or tenant of land in the municipality
• an employee of the municipality or local board unless he or she takes an unpaid leave of absence beginning the day the employee is nominated and resigns if elected to the office
• a judge of any court, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario or the Senate or House of Commons of Canada
• a person who is prohibited from voting in an election according to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 or the Municipal Act, 2001
• a person who has violated financial requirements for filing financial information in a previous election

* Despite the above disqualification, MPs, MPPs and Senators may be nominated for municipal office without having to resign their current seat in parliament. However, by 2:00 p.m. on Nomination Day, MPs, MPPs and Senators will be required to resign their current seat should they wish to continue to seek municipal office.

Nomination Papers for all offices may be filed by the Candidate, in person or by an agent acting on the candidate’s behalf at the Municipal Building (Town Hall) commencing Friday, May 1, 2026 during regular office hours. Nomination Papers may not be mailed, faxed or emailed. 

Nomination Packages will contain the following:

• A completed copy of the Nomination Paper-  Form 1
• A declaration of Qualifications form signed by the candidate - Form EL18
• Consent to Release Personal Information form signed by the Candidate - Form TOP02
• Notice of Penalties - Form TOP31
• Interim Maximum amount of Contributions to Own Campaign - Form TOP55
• Interim Maximum amount of Campaign Expenses - Form TOP23
• Interim Maximum amount to parties after Voting Day
• The applicable nomination fee ($200 Office of Mayor, $100 Office of Councillor or School Board Trustee) to be paid by cash, debit, certified cheque or money order
• Proof of identity 

Candidate Packages are available from the Clerk's Office at the Municipal Building (Town Hall) located at 360 Dibble Street West, Prescott, Ontario, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It is recommended that individuals interested in filing nomination material book an appointment prior in order to ensure staff's availability. 

Nomination Papers can be summited from 9:00 a.m. until Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

If an agent of the candidate is filing the nomination paper, the form must be fully completed prior to filing. The candidate or the agent filing the nomination paper will be required to provide proof of identity.

Candidates cannot raise or spend any money on their campaign until this nomination paper is filed.

Nomination Papers are public documents and are available for inspection at the Clerk's Office. 

Section 33(1.4) of the Municipal Act, stated that Subsection (1.1) does not apply to a nomination in a municipality in which the number of electors who were eligible to vote in the previous regular election in the municipality is less than the prescribed number (4,000).  In the 2022 municipal election, there were 3,374 eligible electors.

Candidates are encouraged to refer to the by-law for regulations governing the use of election signs.

By-law to Manage and Regulate Election Signs and Election Advertisements (By-law 22-2026)

Sections 88.4(1), 88.31 and 88.32 of the Municipal Elections Act speak to campaign surplus.

If a candidate’s financial statement indicates an election campaign surplus at the end of the campaign period, the entire surplus amount shall be paid to the clerk at the time of filing and the clerk shall hold the monies in trust.

If a candidate has a surplus and they or their spouse has made contributions to the campaign, the candidate may (after the campaign period ends but before filing the financial statement) refund themselves or their spouse as long as the amount does not exceed the less of the contributions made or the surplus.

Following any refunds, the Clerk will hold the monies in trust until after the compliance audit period has ended (approximately July 2027). Once the audit period has been completed, the surplus amount will become the property of the municipality.

Section 88.22(1)(a) of the MEA provides that “A candidate shall ensure that, no contributions of money are accepted or expenses incurred unless one or more campaign accounts are first opened at a financial institution exclusively for the purposes of the election campaign”.

A credit card can be used to pay campaign expenses, but you need to make sure that the expense on the credit card is paid for out of your election bank account.