The NDP released the official rules for its leadership race on Friday, which like its last contest include requirements that candidates gather specific numbers of signatures from supporters across regional, racial and 2SLGBTQ+ groups.
At least 10 per cent of a candidate’s signatures must come from New Democrats aged 25 years or under.
Candidates must also collect at least 50 signatures from five different regions in Canada — the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and B.C./the North.
The party adopted similar rules in in 2017, the last time it held a leadership race.
A new permanent leader to replace Jagmeet Singh will be chosen through a ranked ballot, allowing party members to list candidates in order of preference.
The party announced earlier this month that candidates will be required to pay a $100,000 entry fee up from the $30,000 required in 2017.
The spending limit remains $1.5 million.
The official campaign kicks off in September and the final vote will be in March, when the party holds its convention in Winnipeg.
A candidate forum will be hosted in October, and the party will hold two leadership debates — in November and in February 2026. Exact dates for those events have not yet been announced.
“We need a strong NDP in Ottawa to stand up for workers — because we are the party of workers,” said NDP national director Lucy Watson in a statement.
“This leadership contest will give NDP members the opportunity to come together and elect a leader who will carry forward the critical work of cracking down on corporate greed, fixing our health-care system and lowering costs for the working class.”
Restricting third parties
The rules contain new safeguards against alleged foreign interference.
It states that leadership teams “must attend any unclassified briefings” offered by the Government of Canada, Elections Canada or any other relevant authority.
For classified matters involving alleged foreign interference that are classified, the powers of the NDP’s chief electoral officer and the leadership vote committee are delegated to the national director or a designate that has the required security clearance.
Rules around third parties were laid out as well making it clear that candidates are prohibited from co-operating and accepting contributions or advertising from outside entities.
These rules likely emerged after the B.C. NDP 2022 leadership race between Anjali Appadurai and the province’s current premier, David Eby, who was later acclaimed.
Appadurai disagreed with a report by the party’s executive that she engaged in “serious improper conduct” by working with third parties including an environmental group to sign up members on her behalf.
The rules for the federal NDP’s 2026 leadership race state that nothing “precludes or discourages the independent, good faith participation or endorsement of affiliated labour organizations.”
And in the event a third party supports or opposes a leadership hopeful, creating the appearance of collusion, it states “the leadership contestant must take all necessary steps to dispel such inferences and/or doubts.”
