Candidate Information

Register as a Candidate 

Intent to Run

New this year, file your Intent to Run as a candidate.

Candidates who plan to run in the 2025 municipal election can only accept campaign contributions and incur campaign expenses once their notice of intent to run is complete and they are added to the Register of Candidates.

Intent to Run Information.

Nomination Form

Every nomination of a candidate shall be completed through the submission of a Nomination Form and Candidate's Acceptance. Each nomination form must be fully completed, and include the signatures of at least 5 eligible electors. To ensure validity of nominations, a candidate may submit more than the required 5 elector's signatures. If a nomination is not signed by at least 5 electors, the Returning Officer cannot accept the form.

Reminder, if you intend to accept campaign contributions or incur campaign expenses, you must also file your Intent to Run. 

The Town does not collect a deposit to file nomination papers.

More details for potential candidates can be found in the Candidate Information Package and Nomination Information Package (includes required forms).

Forms

Form 4 - Nomination Paper and Candidate's Acceptance - Mayor

Form 4 - Nomination Paper and Candidate's Acceptance - Councillor

Form 5 - Candidate Financial Information

Candidate Contact Information Form

Nomination Day

The nomination period which runs from January 1, 2025 to 12 noon Monday, September 22, 2025.

More details for potential candidates can be found in the Candidate Information Package and Nomination Information Package.

At any time after the commencement of the nomination period a person may request  to examine the filed nomination papers by contacting the Returning Officer to make arrangements.

School Trustee nomination forms are not accepted by the Town of Stony Plain. They must be delivered to the appropriate School Board Returning Officer.

The candidate is responsible for ensuring that the nomination papers filed meet the requirements of the Local Authorities Election Act.

More details for potential candidates can be found in the Candidate Information Package and Nomination Information Package (includes required forms).

Forms

Form 4 - Nomination Paper and Candidate's Acceptance - Mayor

Form 4 - Nomination Paper and Candidate's Acceptance - Councillor

Form 5 - Candidate Financial Information

Candidate Contact Information Form

Any candidate may withdraw at any time between January 2, 2025 and 12 noon September 22, 2025 (Nomination Day).

Following the close of Nomination Day at 12 noon on September 22, 2025, a candidate may withdraw within 24 hours, provided that more than 1 candidate for Mayor or 6 candidates for Councillor have been nominated.

The Returning Officer is unable to accept a withdrawal after 12 noon on September 23, 2025 if it could result in less than the required number of candidates for that office.

If a candidate wishes to withdraw their nomination papers, a written notice must be provided to the Returning Officer no later than 12 noon, September 23, 2025.

More details for potential candidates can be found in the Candidate Information Package and Nomination Information Package.

If at the close of Nomination Day at 12 noon on September 22, 2025, the number of candidates nominated for any office is the same as the number of required to be elected, the Returning Officer shall declare the candidates to be acclaimed to the offices for which they were nominated.

Election signs in the Town of Stony Plain are regulated under the Land Use Bylaw.

The Local Authorities Election Act establishes rules for campaign financing and contribution disclosure.

Contribution limits 

A campaign contribution is defined in the Local Authorities Election Act as "any money, personal property, real property or service that is provided to or for the benefit of a candidate's election campaign without fair market value compensation from that candidate." (Section 147.1(1)(c))

Contributions can be accepted from an individual or a corporation that is based in Alberta. It cannot be accepted from the following:

• An individual or corporation that is based outside of Alberta
• A municipality
• A non-profit organization that has received funds from the municipality of Stony Plain since 2021
• An anonymous source

Candidates must submit their Notice of Intent to Run before accepting campaign contributions or incurring expenses.

A bank account must be opened in the candidate's name.

Expense limits

A campaign expense is defined in the Local Authorities Election Act as "any expense incurred, or non-monetary contribution received, by a candidate to the extent that the property or service that the expense was incurred for, or that was received as a non-monetary contribution, is used to directly promote or oppose a candidate during a campaign period." (Section 147.1(1)(a))

During the year of an election, no candidate shall incur campaign expenses that exceed $20,000.

Disclosure of contributions and expenses

An accounting of the contributions and expenses must be filed with the Town by March 2, 2026.

Any contribution greater than $50 must be disclosed, including the contributors name and address.

The Town must ensure that all disclosure documents filed are publicly available on the Town website.

The Municipal Government Act and the Town of Stony Plain Council Code of Conduct Bylaw specifies that elected officials are required to attend orientation at the start of each Council term.

For the purposes of the 2025 municipal election, Council onboarding will begin immediately following the election. A full schedule will be provided to successful candidates, but all prospective candidates should be aware of the proposed time commitments required to participate in onboarding activities:

October 28 & 29, 2025

Initial onboarding sessions

November 3, 2025

Council photographs, swearing-in ceremony and organizational meeting

November 4 – 6, 2025

Onboarding sessions

November 12 -14, 2025

Alberta Municipalities Conference

November 17 – 19, 2025

Corporate Planning Council Meetings

(to be confirmed during the Organizational Meeting on November 3, 2025 

Council Meetings

Additional Resources for Candidates

Local Authorities Election Act

Expense Limits Regulation

Municipal Government Act

Town of Stony Plain Election Bylaw

4 Part Series for Prospective Municipal Candidates - Municipal Affairs

• Part 1 - What do I need to know about municipalities & local governance?
• Part 2 - What are the different roles in a municipality?
• Part 3 - What can I expect and what is expected of me as a member of council?
• Part 4 - How do I run for elected office?

Alberta Municipalities

Alberta Municipalities and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta are hosting webinars for potential candidates in this fall’s municipal elections. The associations are offering numerous one-hour sessions from April to September. Prospective candidates can register for webinars that correspond to the size of the municipality in which they will run.

• Register today for municipal election webinar | Alberta Municipalities

• Running for Municipal Office - Video Series