Becoming a Candidate

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 with the returning officer

Eligibility

18 years old on election day
Canadian citizen
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
a person imprisoned in a correctional institution
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:

Registered party candidate (Form 904)
Constituency associations of registered parties nominate most candidates but some parties do not have constituency associations. In either event this means affiliating yourself with a registered party.
Independent candidate (not affiliated with a registered 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 the returning officer in your electoral division before 1:00 p.m. on the close of nominations. After the nomination papers have been verified you will become an official candidate in the provincial election.

Form 400 requires:

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 50 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.

Before seeking nomination as, or being, a candidate in a provincial election, federal public servants subject to the political activities provisions (Part 7) of the Public Service Employment Act (Click here to view the legislation) are required to obtain permission from the Public Service Commission (PSC) and, if applicable, a leave of absence without pay during the election period. To find out more about your legal rights and responsibilities regarding political activities visit the PSC website.

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security provides advice, guidance and information on cyber threats to Canada’s democratic process, including cyber security advice for political candidates.