Whereas:
The Canada Elections Act permits unlimited candidate nominations per riding, with no requirement to demonstrate a genuine intent to serve if elected;
Coordinated mass candidacies have disrupted recent elections — with 91 candidates on the 2025 Carleton ballot, 82 candidates on the 2024 Toronto–St. Paul’s ballot and 84 candidates on the 2024 La Salle-Emar-Verdun ballot;
Excessive ballots create accessibility barriers for voters with disabilities, potentially infringing Charter rights under Section 3 (the right to vote) and Section 15 (equality under the law); and
The Chief Electoral Officer formally warned in a November 21, 2024 letter to the Minister of Democratic Institutions that such tactics “pose a risk to the integrity of the electoral process” and recommended legislative reform.
We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to Introduce and fast-track a government bill to amend the Canada Elections Act to prevent coordinated mass candidacies designed to disrupt the voting process, by:
Amending Section 66(1) to require that each candidate’s nomination include 100 unique signatures from electors in the riding (or 50 in designated regions);
Adding a Candidate Declaration of Intent stating:
(a) The intent to serve if elected,
(b) The intent to actively campaign,
(c) That they understand their legal obligation,
(d) That all information provided is accurate and truthful; and
Creating a new offence under Part 19 for knowingly making a false declaration, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000.