Candidate Registration for Markham’s Municipal Election open until August 21

MARKHAM, ON – July 16, 2026 – Candidate registration for the 2026 Markham Municipal Election remains open until Friday, August 21 at 2 PM. Voting days are October 16 to 26.

Interested persons can register for the offices of:

• Mayor (1 position)
• Regional Councillor (4 positions)
• Ward Councillor (8 positions)
• School Board Trustee
  • York Region District School Board (4 positions)
  • York Catholic District School Board (2 positions)
  • Conseil scolaire Viamonde (1 position)
  • Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (1 position)

Eligible persons looking to make a difference in their community are encouraged to run for elected office. Local governments and school boards deliver important services that residents and businesses rely on every day. 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.

A person can be a candidate in this election if they are:

• 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.

Eligible persons looking to make a difference in their community are encouraged to run for elected office. Local governments and school boards deliver important services that residents and businesses rely on every day. 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.

Candidates can register online using Elections Markham’s online registration platform, or by making an appointment to file the required documents in person. Step-by-step instructions on how to register are available at ElectionsMarkham.ca/CandidateRegistration.

Candidates will be required to show ID demonstrating their eligibility and pay a refundable registration fee. Before registering, candidates running for Markham City Council are required to collect at least 25 original handwritten endorsement signatures from eligible Markham voters using the form available from Elections Markham.

Third party political advertisers can continue to register until October 23 at 5 PM. For more information, visit ElectionsMarkham.ca/PoliticalAdvertising.

As of July 14, there are:

• 1 candidate running for mayor
• 6 candidates running for regional councillor
• 18 candidates running for ward councillor positions
• 7 candidates running for school board trustee positions

Key Dates:

• August 21, 2026 at 2 PM – Candidate registration closes
• October 23, 2026 at 5 PM – Third party advertiser registration closes

Useful Links:

• Become a Candidate
• Become a Third Party Advertiser
• Register to Vote

Visit ElectionsMarkham.ca for the latest and most reliable information about the 2026 Markham Municipal Election.

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All media inquiries / interview requests for Elections Markham: media@markham.ca

About Elections Markham: Elections Markham is an independent non-partisan division of the City of Markham responsible for delivering City Council and local school board elections, by-elections and referendums. Markham is a leader in multi-platform election services, being Canada’s first city to vote online and maintaining one of North America’s longest-running remote online voting programs.

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 370,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. 

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