Site MenuTranscript of Video on Becoming a Candidate
So you are thinking about running as a candidate in the next federal election? This module explains the important first steps.
You have a right to be a candidate if you are a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on election day. You can be a candidate for a registered party as long as you are officially endorsed by the party. Otherwise, you can run as an independent candidate. You don't have to live in the riding where you run for election.
Before starting your campaign, you need to do a few things:
- You must appoint an official agent. You cannot accept contributions, loans or transfers or incur expenses before this appointment is made.
- Your official agent must open a separate bank account to be used exclusively for the campaign.
- You can start accepting contributions as soon as you have an official agent and a campaign bank account. Providing receipts is mandatory, but you cannot issue tax receipts until after your nomination is confirmed by the returning officer.
Let's talk a bit about the nomination process:
You must file your nomination paper with the returning officer by 2:00 p.m. local time on the 21st day before election day.
The nomination paper includes details about you, your official agent, and your auditor. You also have to provide the names, addresses and signatures of at least 100 electors (or 50 in some ridings) consenting to your candidacy.
File the nomination paper with the returning officer as early as possible, so there is enough time to make corrections if the returning officer finds the document is incomplete. If your nomination is rejected, you can submit a new nomination paper up until the deadline.
You will find the form and more details about the process on the Elections Canada website.
Here's one more piece of advice: create a budget before you start. It will help you monitor election expenses and stay within the spending limit.
To learn more, please take a look at our other modules and resources.