City Council

• Mayor (1 position, city-wide)
• Regional and Local Councillors (2 positions, city-wide)
• Ward Councillor (6 positions, one per ward)

School Board Trustees

• Public - York Region District School Board
  • Wards 1, 2 and 4 (1 position)
  • Wards 3, 5, and 6 (1 position)
• Catholic (York Catholic District School Board)
  • All Wards (2 positions)
• French Public - Conseil scolaire Viamonde
  • 1 position (at large)
• French Catholic - Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir
  • 1 position (at large)

If you are interested in becoming a candidate in Richmond Hill's 2026 Municipal Elections, you may make an appointment with the Office of the City Clerk to file your nomination paper and review several forms and procedures using a Nomination Checklist that will be provided during your Nomination meeting. 

Meetings are held at the Office of the City Clerk located at 225 East Beaver Creek Road in Richmond Hill, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and take approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Contact candidates@richmondhill.ca to book your appointment.

Note: Walk-ins are permitted, however, individuals who do not book an appointment may experience a significant wait. Scheduling an appointment with the Office of the Clerk is highly recommended.

Nominations must be filed in person with a member of the City Clerk's Election Team as original signatures are required.

Nomination Forms

To file a nomination, you must complete and provide the following:

• Nomination Paper – Form 1
  • Before your appointment, complete only the applicant information (top section) of the Nomination Paper.
  • Leave the Declaration of Qualification and Clerk Certification sections blank.
• Endorsement of Nomination - Form 2 - (Council candidates only)
  • Candidates for Richmond Hill Council are required to obtain a minimum of 25 endorsements from eligible Richmond Hill voters 
  • Incomplete or illegible endorsements will not be accepted - Candidates are encouraged to obtain more than the 25 required endorsements
  • Endorsements are not required for School Board candidates – Do not complete the Form 2 for School Board candidacy

• Declaration of Qualifications
  • Council Candidates Declaration of Qualifications
  • School Board Candidates Declaration of Qualifications
  • Candidates are encouraged to review the declaration in advance of the nomination meeting; however, it must not be signed beforehand, as it is required to be signed during the nomination meeting (see below for submitting a declaration of qualification by agent)
• Current photo identification (e.g. a valid driver's license or other government-issued photo identification with a qualifying address and signature)
• Nomination filing fee ($200 for candidates for the office of Mayor, $100 for all others) payable by debit, credit, cash, certified cheque or money order payable to the City of Richmond Hill 

Mayor and Council Candidates Eligibility

Candidate Eligibility - Council

To run for Mayor, Regional and Local Councillor or Ward Councillor, on the day the nomination paper is filed, a person must be:

• a Canadian citizen
• at least 18 years of age
• a resident of the City of Richmond Hill, or
• an owner or tenant of land in the City of Richmond Hill, or the spouse of the owner or tenant
• not legally prohibited from voting
• not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office

Who is not eligible as a Council Candidate

The following people are disqualified from being elected as a member of Council, or from holding office as a member of Council:

• 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 in the most recent regular municipal election or by-election who received a notice of default from the city clerk

Who is eligible as a School Board Trustee Candidate

Pursuant to Section 219 (1) and (2) of the Education Act, school board trustees must meet the following qualification:

• A person is qualified to be elected as a member of a district school board or school authority if the person is qualified to vote for members of that district school board or that school authority and is resident in its area of jurisdiction.
• A person who is qualified under subsection (1) to be elected as a member of a district school board or school authority is qualified to be elected as a member of that district school board or school authority for any geographic area in the district school board's or school authority's area of jurisdiction, regardless of which positions on that district school board or school authority the person may be qualified to vote for.
• A member of a district school board or school authority is eligible for re-election if otherwise qualified.
• Canadian citizens aged 18 or older on or before Voting Day, who reside in the respective school board area of jurisdiction, and who are not prohibited from voting under any law on the day their nomination forms are filed are eligible to run for office.

The York Region District School Board's area of jurisdiction is all of York Region.  

Who is not eligible as a School Board Trustee Candidate

The following people are disqualified from being elected as a School Board Trustee or from holding office on any school board: 

• A Clerk, Treasurer, Deputy Clerk or Deputy Treasurer of any municipality within the area of jurisdiction of the school board except for those on unpaid leave of absence 
• 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 City Clerk cannot certify the nomination) 
• A candidate who failed to file the required financial statement in the last municipal election
• School Board Employees, including supply teachers, who wish to be a candidate for and/or be elected as a School Board Trustee must take an unpaid leave of absence to register as a candidate. School board employees must take leave before filing nomination forms and must provide the City Clerk with proof of the leave of absence. 
• A person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution 

The boundaries for the Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French Public) and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French Catholic) expand beyond Richmond Hill. 

To file a nomination for trustee for either French-language school board, please visit the City of Vaughan's election webpage, as nominations for these offices are administered by the City of Vaughan.  

Types of School Boards

• York Region District School Board (YRDSB)
• York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB)
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde
• Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir

Campaign Finance

Spending limits are calculated early in election periods based on voters' list numbers from the previous elections, and recalculated closer to Voting Day when the corrected voters' list becomes available. The final spending limit is the greater of the two amounts. This means that the spending limit will never be less than the amount shown in the Preliminary Estimate, but the recalculations may result in spending limits being increased.

View the Preliminary Estimate of Maximum Campaign Expenses for Candidates.

Candidates are responsible for complying with all applicable campaign finance rules under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. City staff are not able to interpret rules or legislation for a candidate. If you are unsure about any of your obligations you may wish to consult a legal professional. 

Key Dates for Candidates 

Candidates should be aware of important dates for the 2026 Municipal Elections.

View the 2026 Municipal Elections Key Dates.

Candidates are reminded that they are responsible for ensuring that their own campaigns are compliant with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and any other legislation. Candidates should not rely solely on information provided by the City of Richmond Hill.