Are You Interested in Running for Office?

Filing your Nomination

A person may only become a candidate by filing a nomination during the nomination period, which runs from Friday, May 1, 2026 to Friday, August 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM.

Nominations must be filed in person at the Clerk's Office during the following times:

• May 1 to August 20, 2026: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Nomination Day: August 21, 2026, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

To submit nomination papers, make an appointment with the Clerk’s Office through our Online Booking Service. Online bookings will be made available starting May 1, 2026.

Elected Offices

Eligible electors in the City of Orillia will vote for the following offices on Voting Day:

• City Council
  • One (1) Mayor
  • Eight (8) Councillors, two (2) elected in each ward
• School Board Trustees:
  • Simcoe County District School Board (English-Public)
  • Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (English-Separate)
  • Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French-Public)
  • Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French-Separate)

Qualifications of a Candidate

A person must be qualified at the time they file their nomination paper in order to run for City Council or for a School Board Trustee position.

To run for City Council, you must be:

• A Canadian citizen;
• At least 18 years of age;
• A resident of the City of Orillia; or own or lease property (or be the spouse of the owner or lessee) in the City of Orillia;
• Not legally prohibited from voting; and
• Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

To run for School Board Trustee, you must be:

• A Canadian citizen;
• At least 18 years of age;
• A resident in the area of jurisdiction of the board;
• Eligible to be an elector for the School Board in which the person is a candidate;
• Not legally prohibited from voting; and
• Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office.

Candidate Information Session

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in partnership with the City of Orillia and the Townships of Oro-Medonte, Severn, Ramara and Springwater will be hosting a free information session for potential candidates interested in running in the 2026 Municipal and School Board Elections and those interested in registering as a Third Party Advertiser.

The session will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the West Orillia Sports Complex (Orillia Room) located at 100 University Avenue, Orillia ON L3V 6H1. 

Seating will be limited for this in-person session, to reserve your spot please contact the Township of Severn Customer Care Team at 705-325-2315 or customercare@severn.ca.

Topics to be covered include: roles and responsibilities of elected officials and third-party advertisers, eligibility rules, nomination process, campaign finances, compliance audit, voters’ list, and key dates.