There are three steps to becoming a candidate in a Manitoba provincial
election.
-
determine your eligibility
-
declare your intention to become a candidate
-
file your nomination papers
Eligibility
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18 years old on election day
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Canadian citizen
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living in Manitoba for at least six months immediately before election day
However, people in the following positions cannot become candidates in a
provincial election
-
a member of the House of Commons or the Senate of Canada or of the Legislative Assembly of another province or territory
-
a municipal council member
- a person who may not be nominated under sections 12 to 17 of The Legislative Assembly Act
-
an election official or enumerator
-
a person imprisoned in a correctional institution
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a person convicted of an offence under The Elections Act within five years before election day
The Legislative Assembly Act also lists requirements for those who want to be a candidate
for, or elected as a member of, the Legislative Assembly.
Declare your intent to be a candidate
You can declare your intent to be a candidate before or during an election in one
of two ways:
-
Political party candidate (Form 904)
Constituency associations of registered political parties nominate most candidates but some parties do not have constituency associations. In either event this means affiliating yourself with a registered political party. -
Independent candidate (not affiliated with a registered political party, Form 905)
Declaring your intent may consist of filing nomination papers or making a public announcement with a press release or by some other method such as accepting contributions for the purpose of contesting an election.
Filing nomination papers
File your nomination papers (Form 400 and Form 908 - Appointment of Auditor) with
Elections Manitoba before 1:00 p.m. on the TUESDAY 21 days before election day in a set date
election, or MONDAY 15 days before election day in any other election. After the nomination papers
have been verified you will become an official candidate in a provincial election.
Form 400
requires:
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candidate's name, residential address and mailing address
-
name and residential address of the person who will act as official agent (including his or her signed consent)
-
signatures of at least 100 qualified voters in the electoral division in which candidate wants to run
Other items of interest
Section 14 of
The Elections Act states the conditions for an employer to grant an unpaid leave of
absence from work to an employee who is a candidate.
Elections Manitoba's candidate package provides detailed information on candidates' rights and responsibilities. Please contact us to request a copy.