Nomination Period
The nomination period for the 2026 Municipal Election opened on Friday, May 1, 2026. Nominations may be filed in person or by an agent with the Office of the Town Clerk, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, beginning on Friday, May 1, 2026 until Thursday, August 20, 2026, during regular business hours (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and on Nomination Day, Friday, August 21, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Acceptable Identification for Candidates
Candidates must provide photo identification which includes their name and qualifying address in Whitby, or one piece of identification with their name (or their spouse’s name) and qualifying address and a second piece of identification with their name and photo.
If the nomination is being filed on behalf of a candidate by an agent, the agent must provide a letter authorizing the agent to file on behalf of the candidate and the letter must be commissioned or notarized by a person authorized under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act or Notaries Act. The agent must also provide the candidate's identification or certified true copy of the candidate's identification that meets the acceptable identification requirements noted above.
Nomination Fee
In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the following fees are payable at the time you file your nomination:
- $100 for candidates for Council or School Board Trustee
- $200 for candidates for Mayor
Payment must be made in-person at the time of your nomination filing appointment by cash, debit, or certified cheque or money order made payable to the Town of Whitby. Payment by credit card, personal cheque, or e-transfer is not permitted.
The nomination fee is refundable if a candidate files their financial statements prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, 2027.
Nomination Paper and Endorsement of Nomination Forms
The prescribed Nomination Paper - Form 1 and Endorsement of Nomination - Form 2 provided by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing are available below.
Notes: If you're experiencing challenges opening the forms, download the form(s) and then locate the file location where it was saved. Next, right click on the PDF file and select "Open with", and then select Adobe Acrobat.
Only an original copy of Nomination Paper - Form 1 is acceptable.
When you fill out the nomination form, write down your name as you want it to appear on the ballot. If you normally go by a different name than your legal first name, you may use that name provided that the Clerk agrees. You do not have to provide all of your names under the box entitled “Given Name(s)” on the form. Only provide the one(s) that you want to appear on the ballot. If your legal name is a single name, you do not have to provide any given names.
Only the nomination of a person for an Office on Council must be endorsed by at least 25 persons. You do not have to submit endorsement signatures if you are running for school board trustee.
Anyone providing an endorsement signature must fill in their name and address, including the postal code. Anyone providing an endorsement signature must be eligible to vote in the Town of Whitby on the day that they signed the endorsement. In addition to their endorsement, they will also be required to sign a declaration that they are eligible to vote in the Town of Whitby. A person who is eligible to vote in the Town of Whitby may provide endorsements to as many candidates as they would like and may endorse candidates for any office on the municipal council. A person who is running for a ward councillor office may submit signatures from voters who do not live in that ward.
It is recommended that you obtain more than the minimum 25 endorsements in case any of the persons providing endorsement are not qualified electors in Whitby or if there is missing information from an endorser. Further, please note that only original copies of Endorsement of Nomination - Form 2 are acceptable.
