Ontario · City of Kawartha Lakes

How to run for Council in Kawartha Lakes

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for councillor candidates in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.

Election day: Monday, October 26, 2026
Population (2021)
79,247
Council seats
8 seats
Term
4 years
Wards
8

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for councillor in Kawartha Lakes, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Kawartha Lakes, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Kawartha Lakes (or the spouse of one).
  • Not legally disqualified from running.
Common disqualifications include sitting judges, sitting MPs / Senators / MPPs (must resign before filing), municipal employees (must take an unpaid leave or resign), and people serving a sentence in a penal institution.

Step 2

What does the councillor do?

Councillors in Kawartha Lakes vote on by-laws, the annual budget, and local services like parks, transit, and zoning. They are the most direct point of contact between residents and city hall.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
Ward Councillor84 yearsOne per ward

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at the City Clerk, in person during regular office hours and on nomination day until 2:00 PM. You'll need to bring:

  • Nomination paper, signed in the presence of the clerk or a commissioner of oaths.
  • 25 endorsement signatures from eligible electors of Kawartha Lakes.Municipalities with fewer than 4,000 eligible electors are exempt from the signature requirement.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: $100. Refundable in full if you file your campaign financial statement on time.

Where to file

Office of the City Clerk, Kawartha Lakes City Hall, 26 Francis Street, Lindsay, ON K9V 5R8. Phone: 705-324-9411 ext. 1888. Filing by appointment only May 1–Aug 20, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (excl. weekends/holidays). Aug 21 (Nomination Day): 9 a.m.–2 p.m., no appointment required.

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
May 1, 12:30 p.m.Nomination period opens
Aug 21, 6:00 p.m.Nomination period closes (last day to file)
October 26, 2026Election day
November 15, 2026New term of council begins
March 27, 2027Campaign financial statement due

Missing the financial-statement deadline can trigger automatic disqualification from running in the next cycle and forfeiture of your filing fee.

Step 5

Campaign finance

Kawartha Lakes runs under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The headline numbers for the 2026 cycle:

Per-individual contribution
$1,200
max from any one person to your campaign
Aggregate / additional rules
$5,000
across all candidates in the same municipality
Self + spouse contribution
lesser of $5,000 + $0.20 × eligible electors, or $25,000
combined cap
Spending limit
$5,000 + $0.85 per eligible elector
the City Clerk issues your written limit after nominations close
Corporate and union donations are banned. Cash gifts of $25 or less generally don't need to be tracked individually; anything more must be by cheque, debit, credit, money order, or e-transfer that traces to the contributor.

Local

Specific to Kawartha Lakes

  • Single-tier amalgamated city (2001) — covers former Victoria County (~3,059 km²). Despite the "City" title, geography is mostly rural with small towns (Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Omemee).
  • No upper-tier council (no county/region).
  • Mix of permanent residents and seasonal cottage owners — non-resident property owners can vote (but only in one municipality).

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Kawartha Lakes also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large
  • TLDSB Trustee (English Public) — Trillium Lakelands DSB
  • PVNCCDSB Trustee (English Catholic) — Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic DSB
  • CSV Trustee — French Public
  • MonAvenir Trustee — French Catholic

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Kawartha Lakes?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the Kawartha Lakes ballot:

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with the City Clerk and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

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