Information for candidates

To run for mayor or city councillor in the City of London, on the day the nomination paper is filed, a person must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age or older
• A resident of the City of London, or
• An owner or tenant of land in the City of London, or the spouse of the owner or tenant

To run for any of the four school boards in the City of London on the day the nomination paper is filed, a person must be:

• A Canadian citizen
• 18 years of age or older
• A resident in the area of jurisdiction of the school board

In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 a person’s residence is “the permanent lodging place to which, whenever absent, he or she intends to return”.

The following rules apply in determining a person’s residence:

• A person may only have one residence at a time
• The place where a person’s family resides is also his or her residence, unless he or she moves elsewhere with the intention of changing his or her permanent lodging place
• If a person has no other permanent lodging place, the place where he or she occupies a room or part of a room as a regular lodger or to which he or she habitually returns

You must file in person at 300 Dufferin Ave in the Election Office on the Second Floor of City Hall.

You will need to pay the nomination fee and provide identification. You are also required to swear an oath at our office. You must complete the following forms:

• Nomination Form
• Signatures of 25 voters supporting the nomination (mayor and councillor candidates only).  Endorsement of Nomination form
• Declaration of Qualifications for Municipal Candidates OR Declaration of Qualification for School Board Candidates

Nomination papers are also available at the Elections Office on the Second Floor of City Hall at 300 Dufferin Ave.

If you no longer wish to run in the City of London’s municipal election, you must file a written withdrawal in-person before 2:00 p.m. on Nomination Day - Friday, August 19th.

The City of London consists of 14 wards.  View the ward map.

A candidate can run for office in the ward of their choice.  You do not have to live in the same ward you are running in.  However, you do have to vote from the address at which you reside.

The City of London will post the names of the candidates online and at City Hall outside the Election Office on the Second Floor as candidates file their nomination papers.

The Voters’ List must be picked up in person or by an appointed representative at the Elections Office on the second floor of City Hall. The Voter’s List will be a paper copy, coil bound by ward. Candidates are entitled to two (2) copies for campaign purposes.

Standards for the placement of election signs on public and private property are established in the City of London's Election Sign By-law and Regulation.

Election Sign By-law

The City Clerk and/or an Enforcement Officer for the City of London is authorized to take down or remove or cause to be removed immediately an election sign that is placed in contravention of the Election Sign By-law and Regulation.

If you would like to report or inquire about the placement of an election sign in the City of London please email enforcement@london.ca or call 519-661-4660.

Signs that pose any risk to the health and safety of pedestrians or motorists will be removed immediately.

Election signs must be erected and displayed in accordance with the prescribed time period as defined by the Election Sign By-law.

All election signs are required to be removed seventy-two (72) hours after Voting Day. If they are not removed from City property, a By-law Enforcement Officer may remove the signs.

Election signs that have been removed by the City of London will be stored at 663 Bathurst Street at A. J. Tyler Operations, Bathurst Works Yard. Signs may be picked up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

An election sign removed by the City of London will be stored for a period of not less than 30 days during which time the Owner or agent may retrieve the election sign.

The City of London is not responsible for the loss or damage of election signs.

Where an election sign has been removed by the City of London and has not been retrieved within 30 days, the election sign may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the City of London without notice.

Candidates will need to consider the needs of persons with disabilities that include, but are not limited to, deaf and hard of hearing; deaf-blind; blind or visually impaired; cognitive or mental; speech; mental illness; and mobility.

Extra measures need to be taken to communicate to persons with disabilities because not all persons are able to access information that is widely used. This could mean the elector with the disability may not be able to read a newspaper article either in print or on the internet; the elector may not be able to visually see the TV ad or media advertising; the elector may not be able to hear the radio commercial; or the elector may not be able to understand the information presented.

Currently there are many opportunities for improving the involvement of the disabled and informing the disabled about candidates and election organizers.  Accessibility is an ongoing consideration, and ongoing efforts are being made to allow persons with disabilities the proper access to become involved with the Election.

Candidates can visit group homes, old age homes, retirement homes, nursing homes and hospitals to inform the electors of their intentions while running for office.

Candidates can utilize the services of a sign language interpreter and/or a deaf-blind intervener when appropriate.

Written information, both on the internet and in hard copy, can be improved through the use of large print; colourful visuals; clear speech communication; and rephrasing when necessary.

Alternate forms of communication can be used such as braille, large print, captioning, electronic text, audio format, descriptive video service (DVS), and sign language video format.

A quiet meeting environment can also be helpful.

No, it is not a requirement that candidates ensure any person, disabled or not, within their ward vote. However, it is in the candidate’s best interest to reach out to all electors, including the disabled, to inform them of the various voting methods, such as vote by mail, advance voting, and proxy voting.

Candidates can utilize the following resources for assistance to reach out to those with disabilities

• Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (formerly Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario) – London Office 111 Elias Street, Unit 3 London ON N5W 5L1 Phone: 519-433-2331 Fax: 519-433-3987
• CNIB – London Office   749 Baseline Road London ON N6C 2R6 Phone: 519-685-8420
• Canadian Hearing Society – London Office 181 Wellington Street London ON N6B 2K9 TTY: 1-888-697-3613 Phone: 519-667-3325 Fax: 519-667-9668 E-mail: info@chs.ca
• Ontario March of Dimes – London Office 920 Commissioners Road East London ON N5Z 3J1 Phone: 519-642-3999 Toll-free: 1-866-496-8603 Fax: 519-642-7665
• Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario – London-Middlesex Branch 648 Huron Street London ON N5Y 4J8 Phone: 519-434-9191 Fax: 519-438-1167 E-mail: Aleena@london.cmha.ca
• Accessibility Directorate of Ontario College Park 6^th Floor, Suite 601A & Suite 601B 777 Bay Street Toronto, ON M7A 2J4 General Inquiry: 416-849-8276 TTY: 416-326-0148 Toll Free: 866-515-2025 TTY Toll Free: 800-335-6611 Web Site: www.ontario.ca/accesson