Nomination Deadline is Friday, August 21, 2026, at 2 p.m.

RICHMOND HILL – The City of Richmond Hill is calling all interested individuals to register for the 2026 Municipal Elections before 2 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026. Eligible candidates must submit their nominations in-person at the Office of the City Clerk in Richmond Hill, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Nominations received after the legislative deadline will not be accepted.

Online Voting begins October 20, and Voting Day is October 26, 2026. Eligible voters will elect a Mayor, Regional and Local Councillors, Ward Councillors and School Board Trustees. The next term of Council begins November 15, 2026 and ends November 14, 2030.

Candidate eligibility

To run for an office on Richmond Hill Council, a candidate must be:

• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years of age on or before Voting Day (October 26, 2026);
• a resident of the City of Richmond Hill, or the owner or tenant of land in Richmond Hill (or the spouse of any such owner or tenant of land).

To run for School Board Trustee, candidates must be:

• a Canadian citizen;
• at least 18 years of age on or before Voting Day (October 26, 2026);
• qualified to vote for members of that district school board and resident in that school board’s area of jurisdiction

Eligible candidates must comply with all provisions of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. This includes, but is not limited to, not accepting any contributions or incurring any expenses pertaining to their election campaign until after their nomination is filed with and accepted by the City Clerk. Potential candidates should carefully review the full eligibility requirements and nomination information at RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes before submitting their nomination.

Filing a nomination

To file a nomination, eligible candidates may email candidates@richmondhill.ca to make an appointment with the Office of the City Clerk at Richmond Hill’s Municipal Offices (225 East Beaver Creek Road). While walk-ins are permitted, individuals who do not book an appointment may experience a significant wait.

• Completed forms can be filled in and printed before the scheduled meeting but should only be signed at the meeting.
• At the time of filing, all candidates must submit a completed nomination form, the declaration of qualification, government-issued photo identification with a qualifying address and pay the prescribed filing fee. Eligible candidates are also required to file at least 25 fully complete endorsements on the prescribed form.
• Nomination filing must be completed in-person, either by a candidate or by a duly appointed agent.
• All nomination forms and key dates for the 2026 Municipal Elections are available at RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes.

List of Candidates

The list of registered candidates is unofficial until nomination forms have been reviewed and certified by the City Clerk following the close of nomination at 2 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026.

Third-Party Advertisers

Interested parties must register with the Office of the Clerk to become a third-party advertiser in the 2026 Municipal Elections. The registration period is open until Friday, October 23, 2026.

Please note that a third-party advertiser’s registration must be certified by the City Clerk before any election advertising activities can begin including spending money on election advertisements, accepting contributions and conducting or distributing any election advertising.

Additional information about third-party advertising registration and requirements is available at RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes.

Vote online or in-person

Richmond Hill is offering the choice to vote in-person or online. Online voting will be available from October 20 to 26 and in-person voting on October 24, 25 and 26. Location details of in-person Vote Centres will be available closer to Voting Day, October 26, 2026.

For more information about the 2026 Municipal Elections, visit RichmondHill.ca/RHVotes.