Nomination Period: February 23 to March 2
Applications for General Election candidacy will be processed through this Nomination Form. Within 24 hours of completing the Form, the CRO will provide all Prospective Nominees their individualized Signature Form, which they can then share with TMSU members to collect nominations.
President Candidate hopefuls must collect at least 100 nominations; Vice-President Candidate hopefuls must collect at least 75 nominations; and Faculty and Special Constituency Director Candidate hopefuls must collect at least 25 nominations. All Nominations must be collected before Monday, March 2 at 5:00 PM to be considered for Candidacy.
Submit a Complaint
If you believe that a candidate, campaign team, or individual involved in the election has violated the TMSU Elections Procedures Code, you may submit a formal complaint to the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) by filling in the Complaint Form.
Important Notices
Statement from the Board of Directors Regarding the last election – April 9, 2025 (Click to Read)
Please note that the EPC (Elections Procedures Code) was updated by the ERC, with the approval of the Board on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
2026 TMSU General Elections
*For Fall 2025 By-election page, please click here; For Fall 2025 By-election official results please click here.
The TMSU is hosting General Elections for the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for the 2026-2027 academic year. This is an opportunity to put your name forth to lead and guide the students’ union from (approximately) May 01, 2026 until April 30, 2027. The students’ union runs a variety of events, campaigns and vital student services — learn more at yourtmsu.ca.
Please see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) at the bottom of this page!
Election Candidates
Once finalized, you will be able to access a list of candidates here.
Executive Committee
The TMSU Executive Committee is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the students’ union and implementing the mandate set out by the Board of Directors. The role is compensated for 25-40 hours a week. There are five Executive Members: President, VP Operations, VP Equity, VP Events and VP Student Life & VP Education.
Board of Directors
The TMSU Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the general operations of the students’ union, setting the mandate of the organization and implementing various projects. The role receives an honorarium with an estimated 5 hours commitment a week. There are two board members per Faculty and one International Students Director.
Learn more about the TMSU and Board of Director Responsibilities:
https://yourtmsu.ca/about/members/
Election Timeline (February to March, 2026)
The 2026 General Elections will proceed according to the following timeline:
- Information Sessions: February 4 & February 11 (virtual – click here to RSVP)
- Notice of Elections: February 9, 2026
- Nomination Period → February 23, 2026 – March 2, 2026 (opens at 10:00 AM, closes at 5:00 PM)
- Nomination Form is available HERE
- INTERIM PERIOD → March 3, 2026 – March 8, 2026:
- Nomination Validation Period. All-Candidates Meeting & Board Training > 2 meetings: March 5, 2026 @ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Approval of Materials, Slate Declaration Form Due, Ballot Name due, Candidate Consent form due, Candidate Statement due: March 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
- Campaign Period → Monday, March 9 @ 10:00 AM – Friday March 13 @ 5:00 PM
- Voting Period → Monday, March 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM until March 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Elections and Procedures Code: TMSU Elections and Procedures Code – Updated Feb 18, 2026
This is the TMSU’s Elections Webpage: https://yourtmsu.ca/about/election/
Information Sessions
*Please see FAQ below with questions from 2026 Info sessions.
Please join us on February 4 and 11 if you are interested in getting more information about participating in TMSU’s 2026 General Election. Sign up here. These optional sessions are for those who would like general information and will not be covering detailed interpretations of the Elections Procedural Code.
If you have any other questions, please contact cro@yourtmsu.ca.
Information sessions schedule – sign up here
Submitting a Complaint
If you believe that a candidate, campaign team, or individual involved in the election has violated the TMSU Elections Procedures Code, you may submit a formal complaint to the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) by filling out the 2026 General Elections Complaint Form.
All complaints must be submitted within 48 hours of the alleged violation to be considered. Complaints received after this time, or without the required information, may be rejected.
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email cro@yourtmsu.ca or visit yourtmsu.ca/election.
Disclaimer: Complaints Privacy
Complaints are not confidential.
While personal contact details will not be shared publicly, the content of the complaint, related evidence, and the CRO’s ruling may be published on the TMSU website and in the TMSU office as required by the Elections Procedures Code. You must be prepared to respond to follow-up questions from the CRO or Elections and Referenda Committee within 24 hours of being contacted.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ FOR BY ELECTION CANDIDATES (Click to view PDF)
How do I get a nomination form if I want to run for a position in the upcoming by-election?
Send an email to cro@yourtmsu.ca to receive a nomination package, which must be returned by March 2, 2026 at 5 PM
What documentation is needed to register my nomination?
You will need to provide: Name, Student Number, torontomu.ca email address and Faculty of study.
If you are running for an Executive position (President, Vice President) you need 50 full-time TMU undergrad students to submit their names, student numbers and signatures. If you are running for a Board of Director position, you will need 25 students from your faculty, or for the International Student Director, you will need 25 international students.
Are we allowed to run if we’re already involved in a TMSU affiliated student group?
Yes.
Who is considered a TMSU Member?
Full time undergraduate students currently enrolled at TMU (including those at the School of Medicine and Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
If campaigning during the nomination period is not allowed, what can you ask when looking for nominators?
You can ask people to sign your nomination form and tell them what you stand for, but you should not be engaging in any broader activities that might constitute actual campaigning, specifically soliciting votes, until the campaign period begins on March 9 at 10am.
May candidates speak with any media outlets?
Students cannot engage with any media outlets, including student-run outlets, without the prior authorization of the CRO.
Based on the posted campaign period and voting period, is campaigning prohibited Mar 14 and 15 (weekend leading up to voting days)?
Campaigning is NOT allowed the weekend of Mar 14-15.
Are the former Executive Directors involved in overseeing the election, or is there someone else in charge?
A new Chief Returning Officer (CRO) was hired to oversee the election following a rigorous selection process, which included background checks by an independent investigator.
Is anyone banned from running?
TMSU’s By-laws set out the rules about candidate eligibility. The By-laws state that board members with financial discrepancies are ineligible for election. One former TMSU board member and three former executives were recently found to have financial discrepancies in their work for TMSU based on findings from an ongoing external investigation into last year’s finances. The information has been provided to the CRO, who is responsible for scrutinizing nomination forms to ensure all proposed candidates meet the criteria to run in the Fall By-Election.
What should people do if they feel candidates or other students are acting improperly during the election?
Contact the CRO at cro@yourtmsu.ca. It is the responsibility of candidates to read and understand the rules of the TMSU’s by-election as laid out in the Elections Procedure code , and ensure all Campaign Team Members are complying. Failure to follow the rules of the EPC can result in demerit points and, in serious cases or for repeated misconduct, disqualification.
This is the TMSU’s Elections Webpage: https://yourtmsu.ca/about/election/
Are Candidates that don’t publicly campaign allowed to compete?
At the end of the day, we are relying, once again on our complaint procedure, so if someone does campaign prior to the allotted time that campaigning is legal for TMSU elections, then we are hoping our members will reach out. Word of mouth campaigning is still considered campaigning, so if someone does decide to just walk around and campaign, that is there prerogative. The ERC has introduced mandatory identification in pictures for candidates, so people actually know who is running.
If you have a position in the Senate for TMU, would you qualify or be able to run for a position?
Yes.
Can full-time students with a part-time load run?
No. Only TMSU Members may run.
Do you need a Campaign Manager or Campaign Team?
No.
Are folks who ran in the By-Elections allowed to re-use their campaign material?
Yes; however, they are expected to go through the approval process like any other Candidate. Additionally, while all materials will be approved via email, everyone will have to have their materials stamped and numbered in person before distributing them in person.
Is there a chance of the entire election be ruled null and void again?
During the 2025 By-Elections, the Executive Election was ruled null and void due to the extraordinary number of complaints and overwhelming evidence of widespread improper interference with Members’ votes in relation to the Executive candidates. If that happens again, ruling the Election null and void is not out of the realm of possibility.
That being said, this is never the ideal solution. We hope that the safeguards recently introduced will allow us to have successful General Elections.
If one member of a slate breaks the rules, are the other members of the slate held to the same demerits?
It depends on the evidence presented and what the Office of the CRO can determine on a balance of probabilities.
If while collecting Nominations, Nominees have exhausted their personal connections, are they are to reach out to people they don’t know as well and ask for nominations?
Yes, it is allowed. However, Nominees have to be sure that they are not Campaigning. While collecting Nominations you are not able to promote yourself as a Candidate, whether that be through your experience or your platform.
Is there an effort to have an Appellate Committee?
Yes, efforts to create an Appellate Committee are underway.