Candidates
The deadline for candidate filing was August 21, 2026. Check the list of candidates for the 2026 Municipal Election.
Candidates may run for Mayor, District Councillor, or for School Board Trustee for one of the four area school boards.
If you want to run for municipal office, you need to be nominated and meet certain requirements. See who can and can't be a candidate, and how to get nominated.
Who can run for office
To qualify as a candidate, you must:
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Be at least 18 years old
- Live in Kingston, or own or rent property in Kingston (or be married to someone who does)
- Not prevented from voting by any law
Who can't run for office
The following are not eligible to be candidates in the municipal election:
- A municipal employee, unless they take an unpaid leave starting the day they are nominated, and resign if they are elected. The employee must give the Clerk proof of their leave and its start date when filing their nomination.
- A judge of any court
- A member of the provincial legislature, Senate, or House of Commons
- Someone serving a prison sentence
- Someone who is no longer a Canadian citizen
- Someone who doesn't live in Kingston, doesn't own or rent property there, and isn't married to someone who does
- Someone who isn't allowed to vote under the law
- A candidate in a previous election who did not file the required campaign expense documents, did not pay to the clerk a surplus from a previous campaign, or exceeded allowable expenses.
Campaign Rules
Kingston has rules about when and where you can put up election signs, and when to take them down. Check the Election Signs Bylaw for details.
You or someone from your team can go into apartment buildings, condos, co-ops, and gated communities to campaign from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Landlords or condo boards can't stop tenants or owners from putting up election signs where they live, but they can set rules about sign size and say no signs in shared areas.
You can't campaign in or near a voting place on Advance Voting Days or Voting Day. That means no campaign buttons, signs, or handing out materials inside or right outside. This includes parking lots and nearby streets. You also can't park cars with campaign signs in those areas.
Campaign donations and expenses
There are specific rules for candidates regarding donations and expenses.
After filing their nomination paperwork, candidates will receive information from the Elections Office outlining the maximum amounts they may donate to their own campaign and the maximum amount they may receive from eligible donors.
Candidates will also receive information and forms regarding financial statements that must be filed at the end of the campaign period.
More information on campaign finances can be found in the Municipal Elections Act and the 2026 Candidates' Guide.
Candidate resources
The following links are intended to provide additional information for election candidates.
- Municipal Elections Act
- Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Election Resources
- 2026 candidates' guide - Ontario municipal council and school board elections
- Guide 2026 à l'intention des candidats et candidates - élections municipales et scolaires en Ontario
- 2026 Municipal Election Accessibility Plan
Election Bulletins
The City of Kingston acknowledges that we are on the traditional homeland of the Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat, and thanks these nations for their care and stewardship over this shared land.
Today, the City is committed to working with Indigenous peoples and all residents to pursue a united path of reconciliation.
Learn more about the City's reconciliation initiatives.
