Elections Vaughan

Filing a Nomination

The following persons have filed a nomination for office at the 2026 Municipal Election:

Candidates and registered third parties wishing to erect election signs within the geographical boundaries of the City of Vaughan must complete and submit the Election Sign Fee Form (PDF) and submit it along with the appropriate non-refundable fee to the By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services Department.

For more information about Elections Signs, please click here.

General Information:

Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (“Act”), candidates, registered third-party advertisers, and contributors are bound by specific election campaign finance rules. Candidates and registered third-party advertisers must file provincially prescribed financial statements with the City Clerk outlining their campaign finance activities. Any eligible elector who believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate or registered third party has contravened one or more of the election finance rules in the Act may submit an application for a compliance audit of the candidate or registered third-party's campaign finances.

Submitting a request for compliance audit:

All requests for a compliance audit must be submitted using this application form (PDF). A separate application form is required for each individual candidate or registered third party Application forms must be submitted to the City Clerk in person during regular business hours.

2022-2026 Joint Compliance Audit Committee - Audit Request Form (PDF)

Application Deadlines

For the 2022 Municipal Election, a request for a compliance audit must be filed with the City Clerk by:

1. June 29, 2023, for a candidate or third party advertiser who filed their financial statement by the 2 p.m. deadline on March 31, 2023.
2. Within 90 days of the date on which a candidate or third party advertiser filed their financial statement if the statement was filed within 30 days of March 31, 2023; or
3. December 28, 2023, for a compliance audit of a candidate or third party advertiser who filed a supplementary financial statement (if applicable) by the September 29, 2023 filing deadline.

School Board Candidates

The Joint Compliance Audit Committee does not receive applications to audit school board trustee campaigns. For more information about compliance audits of school board trustee candidates, please contact the relevant school board.

Candidate Information Session

Presentations:

2026 Candidate Information Session - City of Vaughan (PDF)

2026 Candidate and Third Party Advertisers Information Session - City of Vaughan and Township of King (PDF)

Contributions to candidates may be made by individuals who are residents of Ontario. Corporations and trade unions are not permitted to make contributions to candidates at a municipal election.

Contributions to candidates for office on Vaughan Council or for a School Board are subject to limits as follows:

• $1,200.00 - Maximum individual contribution to a single candidate's campaign.
• $5,000.00 - Maximum overall value of contributions to a candidate for the same Council or School Board.

All contributions to candidates must be made as an individual, only one person may contribute from a joint account.

All contributions exceeding $25 must be made by cheque, money order, or by a method that clearly shows where the funds came from (such as debit, credit or electronic funds transfer).

The application period for the City of Vaughan's Contribution Rebate Program for the 2026 Municipal Election is now open. Rebate cheques for eligible contributions will be issued beginning July, 2027.

To be eligible for a contribution rebate you must:

• be an eligible elector in the city of Vaughan.
• be a resident of the city of Vaughan.
• not be the candidate, or the spouse or relative of the candidate, including siblings, grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren.

Contributions to candidates who have not opted into the Contribution Rebate Program are not eligible for a rebate. Contributions to School Board Trustee candidates are also not eligible for a rebate.

The Contribution Rebate is calculated using the following criteria:

• The rebate is issued for 75 per cent of the total value of contributions made to candidates.
• The minimum contribution necessary to qualify for a rebate is $50.
• The maximum value of the rebate issued to a contributor, regardless of the number and value of contributions to one or more candidates, is $150.

Please note that a rebate cannot be issued for cash contributions to candidates.

Registered third parties are individuals, corporations or trade unions that register with the Office of the City Clerk for the purposes of conducting advertising promoting, supporting or opposing a candidate (or candidates) for office at the municipal or school board level.

The registration period for Third Party Advertisers for the 2026 Municipal Election begins on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Qualifications for Registered Third Party

Only the following persons and entities are eligible to file a notice of registration:

• An individual who normally resides in Ontario.
• A corporation that carries out business in Ontario.
• A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario.

The following persons and entities are not eligible to file a notice of registration:

• A candidate whose nomination has been filed under Section 33 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
• A federal political party registered under the Canada Elections Act or any federal constituency association or registered candidate at a federal election endorsed by that party.
• A provincial political party, constituency association, registered candidate or leadership contestant registered under the Election Finances Act, 1990.
• The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or local board.

Registration period

Registrations for third party advertisers will be accepted by appointment only, in-person at the Office of the City Clerk, Vaughan City Hall, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., Vaughan. Appointments are thirty minutes in duration and may be scheduled during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, between Friday, May 1 and Friday, Oct. 23.

To schedule a registration appointment with the Office of the City Clerk, please contact Elections Vaughan by email at elections@vaughan.ca or call 905-832-8504.

To file a registration, you must provide:

1. Form 7 - Notice of Registration - Third Party;
2. VT5 - Declaration of Qualifications - Third Party (Individual)*; OR
3. VT5 - Declaration of Qualifications - Third Party (Corporation or Union)*;
4. VT6 - Penalty Notice - Third Party;
5. Identification, including name, address and signature; and
6. For persons acting as an agent to file for a corporation or trade union, documentation confirming you are authorized to act on behalf of that corporation or trade union.

*To be signed at the registration appointment

Registration fee

There is no fee required to register as a third party advertiser for the 2026 Municipal Election.

Withdrawing registration

Registrations cannot be withdrawn. Once you have registered as a third party, you will remain as a registered third party (along with all legal obligations associated with being a third-party advertiser) until the end of the campaign period.

Third-Party Advertisers' Guide

For more information about third-party advertisers, please view the 2026 Third-Party Advertisers' Guide from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

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