Registration opens today for candidates seeking Toronto council, mayor and school trustee positions
Candidate nominations officially open today for Toronto’s upcoming 2026 municipal elections slated for this fall.
From 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 1, until Friday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m., candidates can register their papers to run for the positions of mayor, city councillor, or school trustee.
The school board trustee positions are in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.
This year’s municipal election will see Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford give up his seat at council to take part in the mayoral race for the second time since the 2023 byelection. This year’s Toronto municipal election takes place on Monday, Oct. 26.
A number of high-profile candidates are expected to enter the race to become the next Beaches-East York councillor.
Of important note for this year, fewer seats will be available for trustees at the TDSB trustee following the board’s announcement that the number of wards would be reduced from 22 to 12 in a provincial effort to overhaul school governance.
Residents who wish to complete the candidate nomination process for any municipally elected postion must file the appropriate nomination papers and provide identification with proof of name, signature, and qualifying address within the city or school board jurisdiction.
All nominations and third-party advertiser registrations must be filed in person at the Toronto Elections City Hall office at 100 Queen St. W. between Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Filings will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last day of the nominations period (Aug. 21).
To minimize wait times and reduce crowding, an online booking system is available for candidates to reserve a timeslot to file their nomination, said the City of Toronto in a news release.
A filing fee of $200 is required to enter the mayoral race, and $100 for city councillor or school board trustee. Those running for the office of mayor or councillor must also provide at least 25 endorsements of nominations from eligible Toronto voters with original signatures.
A full and final list of certified candidates will be available after nominations close on Friday, Aug. 21.
Also, Beach Metro Community News will be keeping an eye on who is registering to run for council and school trustee positions in the wards we cover – Beaches-East York, Scarborough Southwest, and Toronto-Danforth – and we will provide periodic updates on who the candidates are.
