A person is qualified to be elected or hold office as a member of council (Mayor, District & Town Councillor, or Ward Councillor) only if, as of the day they file their
nomination, they are:

• Entitled to be an elector under the MEA, s.17(2)
  • A Canadian citizen;
  • At least 18 years of age;
  • A resident in the local municipality, or the owner or tenant of land in the local municipality, or the spouse of such a person; and
  • Not prohibited from voting as noted or otherwise by law.
• Not disqualified for violation of financial requirements or violations of requirements for filing financial information.
• Not disqualified by any Act from holding such office.
• Not disqualified under the provisions as outlined in MEA, s.90(2) and 91(1).

Candidates are responsible for ensuring they meet all qualifications before filing nomination papers.

A person is qualified to be elected or hold an office as a school board trustee only if, as of the day they file their nomination, they are:

• Entitled to be an elector under the MEA, s.17(2)
  • A Canadian citizen;
  • At least 18 years of age;
  • Not prohibited under the Act from voting or otherwise by law.
• Qualified to be a member of the school board in accordance with the Education Act, s.219
  • A resident within the school board's area jurisdiction; and
  • Qualified to vote for members of that school board (a supporter of that school board).

Candidates are responsible for ensuring they meet all qualifications before filing nomination papers.

Nominations to be filed may be made by completing and filing the following:

• Nomination form
• Declaration of Qualification form
• Endorsement of Nomination form (a minimum of 25 signatures) 
• Identification showing name, qualifying address, photo and signature
• Nomination Filing Fee ($200 for Mayor or $100 for all other offices)

Note: endorsement signatures are NOT REQUIRED for School Board Trustee Candidates.

All nomination forms must include original signatures.

Nominations must be filed by appointment only, with the Clerk at Town Hall during the following times:

• May 1 to August 20, 2026: Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays), from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• August 21, 2026 (Nomination Day): from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  Candidates must notify the Clerk of their presence in the building (Huntsville Civic Centre/Town Hall) before 2:00 p.m. on Nomination Day.

A person may not raise or spend campaign funds until their nomination paper has been filed.

Anyone interested in becoming a candidate should review the 2026 Candidates' Guide - Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Trustees provided under Forms and Documents.

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) website provides public access to Municipal Financial Information Return (FIR) data, AMO MIDAS through the following steps:

1. Visit the AMO MIDAS page
2. Click the Ontario Municipal Snapshot tab on the page
3. Select Years (select Show More Years if needed)
4. Select Municipality > Select Lower Tier
5. Drop-down will appear to select Municipality > start typing ‘Huntsville’ and select ‘Town of Huntsville’
6. Click Make Schedule Selection button
7. Under Schedule Tab, select "S40 - Consolidated Statement of Operations: Expenses"
8. New options will appear, select "Total"
9. Another options will appear, select "Total" (again)
10. Select, "SLC S40 9910 01 Salaries, Wages and Employee Benefits"
11. Click "Save Selection" button.

For more information, watch the step-by-step video tutorial.

2025 data will be included once the Town has completed the audit and submitted the 2025 Financial Information Return.

The unaudited year-end report for 2025 will be provided on the Town’s Budget and Finance page.

The 2026 Candidates’ Guide – Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections note the following:

• Page 20: Contribution receipts are not tax receipts. Contributions to municipal council and school board campaigns cannot be credited against provincial or federal income taxes.
• Page 21: Contributions to municipal council and school board campaigns are not tax deductible.

Section 88.11 in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 enables a municipality to pass a by-law establishing a rebate program for individuals who make contributions to municipal council candidates; however, municipalities are not required to do so.

The Town of Huntsville does not have a Campaign Contribution Rebate By-law.