Become a candidate
The next General Election will take place on Monday, Oct. 15, 2029. The campaign period for the 2029 General Election will begin Jan. 1, 2026. Starting Jan. 2, 2026, candidates may submit their notice of intent to be nominated for the 2029 General Election. You can submit your notice of intent to be nominated for one of the following positions:
- Mayor
- Councillor
- Public School Board Trustee
- Separate School Board Trustee
The Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) governs elections for Alberta’s local jurisdictions, including Calgary City Council and Calgary School Boards. Prospective candidates should refer to the LAEA for complete details on the nomination process and obtain legal advice regarding the full extent of their obligations.
Campaign period
- In the case of a general election, the campaign period begins on Jan. 1 of the year immediately following a general election and ends on Dec. 31 after the next general election.
- The campaign period for the 2025 General Election ends on Dec. 31, 2025.
- The campaign period for the 2029 General Election starts on Jan. 1, 2026 and will end on Dec. 31, 2029.
Steps to become a candidate
1. Check your eligibility
Who can be a candidate
All candidates must be eligible to vote and:
- Have been a resident of the local jurisdiction for the six months leading up to Nomination Day.
- Not otherwise be ineligible or disqualified.
More information about candidate eligibility is outlined in the Local Authorities Election Act.
Councillor and school board trustee candidates do not have to be a resident of the ward they wish to represent.
Separate school board trustee candidates have additional requirements under Section 74(3) of the Education Act.
Who cannot be a candidate
You cannot be a candidate if you:
- Are an employee of the Office of the Ombudsman who has not taken a leave of absence before Nomination Day.
- Are an auditor of the local jurisdiction where you are running.
- Are an employee of The City of Calgary who is running for Council and who has not taken a leave of absence before Nomination Day.
- Are an employee of the school division, charter school, or private school who is running for school trustee and who has not taken a leave of absence before Nomination Day.
- Are in default to The City of Calgary more than $50 in taxes in arrears (does not include current taxes or a consolidation agreement in good standing). Does not apply to school board trustee candidates.
- Owe The City of Calgary $500 or more and in default for more than 90 days – does not apply to school board trustee candidates.
- Have been convicted of an offence in the last 10 years under the Local Authorities Election Act, the Election Act, the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act or the Canada Elections Act (federal).
- Have been convicted of an offense that is punishable by imprisonment for five or more years.
- Have been convicted of an offense under Section 123, 124, or 125 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
- Are serving an ineligibility period due to your name appearing in a non-compliance report to Council or the school board.
- Accept or spend an anonymous or unauthorized contribution after submitting an intent to run notice.
Step 2 - Submit your notice of intent to be nominated
Notice requirement
Individuals who intend to incur campaign expenses or receive campaign contributions during the campaign period for the 2029 General Election (Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2029) are required to file a notice of intent to be nominated with Elections Calgary.
If you previously submitted a notice of intent to be nominated for the 2025 General Election and now plan to run in the 2029 General Election, you must submit a new notice of intent for the 2029 General Election. Submit the notice in writing and include the following:
- Full name, address and contact information of the individual.
- Address of the place or places where records of the individual are maintained.
- Address of the place to which communications may be sent.
- Names and addresses of the financial institutions where campaign contributions will be deposited.
- Names of the individuals with signing authority for each campaign account above.
- Local jurisdiction you intend to be nominated in.
- City of Calgary (City Council)
- Calgary Board of Education
- Calgary Catholic School District
Elections Calgary will confirm acceptance of all notices received.
Please note, no form is required to be used or supplied by Elections Calgary for the purpose of submitting the notice.
Submit the notice of intent to be nominated
The notice of intent to be nominated can be submitted in one of the following ways:
Email: candidates@calgary.ca
Mail:
City of Calgary
Attn: Elections Calgary, Mailcode #207
P.O. Box 2100, Station ‘M’
Calgary, AB, T2P 2M5
In-person: Elections Calgary office, 2nd floor, 2340 22 St. N.E.
Register of candidates
After submitting a notice of intent to be nominated, your name will appear on the register of candidates on Elections Calgary's website.
Step 3 – Submit your nomination package
Nomination requirements
Candidates can submit their nomination forms for the 2029 General Election starting Jan. 2, 2029. Nomination forms and detailed instructions on how to complete and submit them will be available in late 2028.
Additional information
Public access to nomination documents
Members of the public may view nomination documents in-person and under supervision at the Elections Calgary office. This includes results of the criminal record check.
Mailing addresses of you and your official agent will be blacked out from documents before they are made available to the public.
If you have questions about public access to documents, email candidates@calgary.ca or call the helpline at 403-476-4110.
