Candidate Information

How to Register as a Candidate and Registration Documents

If you're interested in becoming a candidate in Richmond Hill's 2020 York Region District School Board Trustee (Wards 1, 2 and 4) By-election, please make an appointment with the Office of the City Clerk to file your nomination paper and review a number of forms and procedures. The last day to file a nomination is Friday, September 4, 2020 at 2 p.m.

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, requires that a Candidate or the candidate’s agent file a nomination in-person. Due to COVID-19, appointments are required for all nomination meetings. To schedule a meeting, please contact the Elections Team at 905-747-6541 or candidates@richmondhill.ca.

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 p.m., and take 30 to 45 minutes. 

Registration Documents

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

• Nomination Paper - Form 1
• Declaration of Qualifications
• Current identification (e.g. driver's licence or other government-issued photo identification with a qualifying address and signature)
• Nomination filing fee of $100 payable by debit, credit, cash, certified cheque or money order to the City of Richmond Hill (Note: electronic payment, such as debit or credit, is strongly preferred due to COVID-19 precautions)

Appointing an Agent to File a Nomination

All nominations must be filed in person, either by the candidate or by an authorized agent. If you intend to appoint an agent to file your nomination, please let the Elections Team know when scheduling the nomination appointment.

To file nominations for a candidate, agents will be required to bring the following:

• Completed Appointment of an Agent to File a Nomination form with the candidate's original "wet" signature - electronic signatures or photocopies will not be accepted
• Nomination Paper - Form 1 - must include an original "wet" signature that matches the candidate's identification
• The candidate's Declaration of Qualifications with original "wet" signatures of both the candidate and witnessing official
• The candidate's original photo identification, showing the candidate's name, signature, and qualifying address as shown on the Nomination Paper
• Nomination filing fee of $100 payable by debit, credit, cash, certified cheque or money order to the City of Richmond Hill (Note: electronic payment, such as debit or credit, is strongly preferred due to COVID-19 precautions)
• The agent's original photo identification showing their name, address, and signature as it appears on the appointment form

The City Clerk may require additional verification in certain circumstances and may contact the candidate to verify the authenticity of the appointment.

COVID-19

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, requires that a Candidate or the candidate’s agent file a nomination in-person. Due to COVID-19, health and safety protocols are in place for any person filing a nomination.

No person who:

• has COVID-19;
• is quarantined or in any form of mandatory self-isolation under the authority of any Canadian federal or provincial law, or public health authority order; or
• or who has any of the COVID-19 symptoms (please see the York Region Public Health website for symptoms and other information)

will be allowed to file a nomination form in-person. Candidates who meet one of these criteria are required appoint an agent to file the nomination on their behalf (see appointment of agent below). When choosing an agent, make sure that they will be allowed to file the form in-person.

Any person who files a nomination in-person will be required to comply with York Region’s requirements to wear masks or face coverings. Any person who files a nomination may also be required to wear non-latex gloves.

School Board Trustee Role and Responsibilities

More detail about the role and responsibilities of School Board Trustees can be found on York Region District School Board's website.

Please note that the City of Richmond Hill is responsible only for the election process of School Board Trustees and our staff is not able to provide detailed information about the role. Inquiries can be directed to the York Region District School Board staff or sitting Trustees.

School Board Trustee Candidate Eligibility

Canadian citizens aged 18 or older on or before Voting Day, who are residents or reside in the respective school board's 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. 

Disqualified Candidates

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 elections.

School Board Employees

School Board employees, including supply teachers, who wish to be a candidate for and/or be elected as a school board trustee must take a leave of absence (school board employees must take leave before filing nomination forms and must provide the City Clerk with proof of the leave of absence).