Qualifications to be a Municipal Candidate (Councillor or Mayor)
- Canadian citizen and 18 years old at the time of nomination
- Ordinarily resident in MODL as of March 9, 2024, and continues to reside there.
Persons disqualified to be Council Members (Councillor or Mayor)
- See section 18 of the Municipal Elections Act.
Is running for Municipal Council right for me? What information do I need?
- pdf Becoming a Municipal Council Candidate (245 KB) This document is for those who are interested in becoming a candidate for council. It explains the process.
- pdf 2024 MODL Candidate Information Guide (14.95 MB) This guide has been written by Elections staff and is MODL-specific.
- pdf Candidate's Guide to Municipal & CSAP Elections 2024 (466 KB) This document has been created by the Department of Municipal Affairs.
Information on Municipal Campaign Schools is available at https://novascotia.ca/municipal-elections/ .
Important Dates
- Early July - Candidate's packages (paperwork needed to complete the nomination) will be available in early July. Contact Leah Zinck, Returning Officer, at 902-527-8151 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to arrange pick-up.
- Aug 29 & 30, Sept 3 to Sept 6, Sept 9 - nominations may be filed with the Returning Officer by appointment only between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm at the Elections Office (location to be announced)
- Sept 10, 2024 - Nomination Day - nominations can be filed with the Returning Officer - no appointment required but is recommended - between 9 am to 5 pm. No nomination papers will be accepted after 5 pm on this day.
Form 17 (Appointment of Official Agent)
If campaign contributions are being accepted, an Official Agent must be appointed before Nomination Day even if the candidate has chosen to be their own Agent. Form 17 should be filled out by the candidate and they (the candidate and Official Agent) should make an appointment with the Returning Officer as the Official Agent must take an oath. If no campaign contributions are being accepted, then Form 17 can be submitted on Nomination Day.
Questions? Please contact Leah Zinck, Returning Officer, at 902-527-8151 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Information from other years -
What Does Each Level of Government Do in Canada. This video outlines exactly what each level does in Canada, and why local government is so important.
In the Spring of 2016, Nova Scotia company Springtide teamed up with the Department of Municipal Affairs to deliver three full-day campaign schools. Many of the sessions were captured on video, and are available here: https://www.springtide.ngo/local-decisions/
Council remuneration is set by Motion of Council. Motion 2022-073.