For Candidates

To run for Municipal Office, 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 Niagara Falls, or
• An owner or tenant of land in the City of Niagara Falls, or the spouse of the owner or tenant
• Not legally prohibited from voting
• Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office

Who cannot be 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 who failed to file the necessary financial statement in the the last municipal election or by-election

Employees of the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Region

• Employees who wish to run for Mayor, City Council or Regional Council must take an unpaid leave of absence before filing a nomination paper
• The employee must provide a copy of the documentation showing that they have taken the leave of absence and the effective date

Those interested in running for the Regional Council should visit the Niagara Region website to learn more about the services it provides.

To run for any of the four school boards, on the day the Nomination Paper is filed, a person must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• At least 18 years of age
• A resident in the area of jurisdiction of the board
• Not legally prohibited from voting
• Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office

For more information about being a School Board Trustee and being a candidate, please visit the Ontario Municipal and School Board Election website. 

Who cannot be 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 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 Clerk will not certify the nomination.
• A candidate who failed to file the necessary financial statement in the last municipal election or by-election

School board employees

• Employees of any school board (including supply teachers) are disqualified from being elected as school board trustee or from holding office on any school board, except during a leave of absence
• The employee must be on a leave of absence before filing their nomination paper
• They must provide the Clerk with documentation showing that they have taken the leave of absence and the effective date

Types of school boards

1. District School Board of Niagara
2. Niagara Catholic District School Board
3. Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French Public)
4. Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French Separate)

Areas of jurisdiction

If you wish to run for school board trustee you must live in the jurisdiction. For the District School Board of Niagara and the Niagara Catholic District School Board the area of jurisdiction is the City of Niagara Falls.

Those interested in running for the French Public school board, must register with the City of Welland.

Those interested in running for the French Separate school board, must register with the City of St. Catharines.

Prospective candidates in the 2026 Municipal Elections must first be nominated before raising any campaign funds or incur expenses.

An individual can only run for one office at a time.

Filing your nomination

• In-person filing: You must file your nomination in person because original signatures are required
• Required documents: Bring the following:
  1. Nomination Paper (Form 1)
  2. Endorsement of Nomination (Form 2) – For Mayor, City, and Region council candidates, you will need at least 25 endorsements from eligible electors
  3. Valid identification

If you are sending an agent to file for you, they must provide these documents along with their own ID. Incomplete documents won’t be accepted.

Nomination deadline

File during regular office hours (8:30 am to 4 pm) between Friday, May 1, 2026 and Friday, August 21, 2026 by 2:00 pm.

Nomination fees

• Pay by cash, debit card, or certified cheque or money order made out to 'City of Niagara Falls.'
• $200 for Mayor
• $100 for City Council, Regional Council or School Board Trustee

Where to file

• Make an appointment: Before visiting City Hall please call 905-356-7521 ext. 0 to schedule an appointment with the Clerk’s Department
• Location: File your nomination at the Office of the City Clerk at Niagara Falls City Hall, 4310 Queen Street

If you decide you no longer wish to run you must:

• File the Withdrawal of Nomination form in person (City Clerk's Office)
• Provide identification
• File a financial statement by the deadline date

You can change the office you're running for even after you have filed your papers. To do so, you must file a Nomination Paper for the new office. For mayor, city council or regional council candidates, you do not have to submit additional declaration of endorsements - what you submitted for the first office is transferred to the second office.

Nomination filing fee

• If the nomination filing fee is the same for the new office, no extra payment is required
• If the nomination filing fee differs for the new office, the difference must be paid, if applicable
• Note: the filing fee is not refunded until you file the financial statement by the deadline date

Campaign finances

• If you decide to run for a different office on the same council or school board, and both offices are elected at large, everything (contributions, expenses, etc.) from your first campaign is simply transferred to your second campaign. You will only file one financial statement.
• A contributor's total contribution cannot exceed $1,200 for both campaigns

The Municipal Elections Act requires every candidate to file a financial statement.

Filing deadline

• Deadline: The deadline for the 2026 election will be posted here
• Grace period: A candidate who missed the deadline may file within a 30-day grace period, provided that a $500 late filing fee is paid to the municipality

Complete the required form

Every municipal or school board election candidate must complete the Financial Statement-Auditor’s Report Candidate Form 4, available on the Government of Ontario’s Central Forms Repository website.

Audit requirements

If your campaign contributions and total expenses exceed $10,000, you must have your financial statement audited by a licensed auditor. Submit the auditor’s report along with your financial statement to the Clerk.

Public access to financial statements

• Public records: All financial statements are public documents. The Clerk will keep them until the new council takes office after the next election. Anyone can obtain copies, but they can only be used for election purposes.
• Access online: Financial statements for the 2026 election will be posted on our website

Nomination fee refund

Eligibility: Candidates are entitled to a refund of their nomination filing fee if all required documents are filed by 2:00 pm on the deadline date. Source: Municipal Elections Act, section 34, subsection 88.25 (1).