Registration for municipal election open until August 21
The City of Markham is encouraging eligible persons looking to make a difference in their community to run for elected office.
Local governments and school boards deliver important services that residents and businesses rely on every day, it notes. Markham City Council members shape City services and programs, while school board trustees are community advocates for public education and champion student achievement, well-being and equity, it adds.
Candidate registration for the 2026 Markham Municipal Election remains open until Friday, Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. Voting days are October 16 to 26. Interested persons can register for the offices of mayor (one position), regional councillor (four positions), ward councillor (eight positions) and school board trustee, with four positions available at the York Region District School Board, two positions available at the York Catholic District School Board, one position available at the Conseil scolaire Viamonde and one position at Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.
A person can be a candidate in this election if they’re at least 18 years old; and a Canadian citizen; and a resident, landowner or tenant of Markham or the applicable school board jurisdiction; and not legally prohibited from running for office. Candidates can register online using Elections Markham’s online registration platform or by making an appointment to file the required documents in person. Instructions on how to register are available at ElectionsMarkham.ca/CandidateRegistration.
Candidates must show identification demonstrating their eligibility and pay a refundable registration fee. Before registering, candidates running for Markham City Council must collect at least 25 original handwritten endorsement signatures from eligible Markham voters using the form available at Elections Markham.
A person, corporation or trade union that plans to spend money on political advertisements during a Markham municipal or school board election needs to register as a third party advertiser. Third party political advertisers can continue to register until Friday, Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. For more information, visit at ElectionsMarkham.ca/PoliticalAdvertising.
You can vote if you’re at least 18 years old (or will be by final voting day); a Canadian citizen; a Markham resident, landowner or tenant (or the spouse of one); and registered to vote. Register to Vote. Click here to check out who has registered to run in the election to date. Visit ElectionsMarkham.ca for information about the 2026 Markham Municipal Election.