Voting is now open. CNO’s election provider, Big Pulse Online Voting, sent all eligible voters a ballot by email on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. For more information on who is eligible to vote, see Where are elections taking place this year? 

The deadline to submit your vote is Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST.

What's Council?

Council is CNO’s board of directors, and it’s composed of nurses and members of the public. Council makes important decisions that shape the regulation of nursing and promote public safety. Together, Council and CNO have one purpose: to protect the public by promoting safe nursing practice. 

Is Council for me?

If you’re passionate about safe client care, then sitting on Council will be a personally and professionally rewarding experience. This is your opportunity to contribute your perspective to a diverse group of nurses from all types of positions and settings along with members of the public, while supporting decisions that promote safe nursing practice. 

For more information, please watch our six-part video series about Council. 

Time Commitment and Expectations

Serving on Council requires a meaningful commitment of time and attention. If elected to serve on Council you will be expected to fulfill the following responsibilities and time commitments: 

  • The term of office for a Council member is three years, effective June.
  • Council meets quarterly for 2–3 days per meeting. Two meetings are held remotely and two are hybrid (in-person attendance is encouraged; however, remote participation is supported for all meetings).
  • Members also serve on at least one statutory committee, with additional time required for preparation and meetings (1–4 days per month, mostly remote). We recommend having employer support for participation.
  • CNO provides a stipend for Council and committee work, including travel time. For committee work, members may also claim for preparation time. Please note that the stipend is not a salary replacement.
  • Members must be able to review materials in an online portal (equipment and training are provided) and participate in remote meetings in a private, uninterrupted space.

Review the Council Member Role description to learn more. 

Competency-Based Elections

Competency-based Council elections support Council’s commitment to effective governance and regulating the nursing profession in the public interest. This approach helps ensure that Council members collectively have the attributes and competencies to effectively serve on Council. 

The Council Attributes and Competencies Profile helps: 

  • guide potential candidates in understanding the desired competencies 
  • inform voters about the experience and strengths of candidates
  • support Council members’ ongoing development 

Review the Council Attributes and Competencies Profile to learn more and reflect on the attributes and competencies needed on Council.

Eligibility Requirements 

To be eligible to run as a candidate, you must:

  • work in the electoral district holding an election, or if you are not employed in nursing, reside in that district
  • be registered in the General or Extended Class
  • be in good standing with CNO

For the full list of eligibility requirements, please review Article 52 of By-Law No. 1: General.

In addition, please review Article 6 of By-Law No. 3: Council and Committee Code of Conduct to confirm you meet the requirements regarding prohibited positions.

Steps to run for council

Once you have confirmed you meet the eligibility requirements, please follow the steps below.

To complete your nomination, you will need two nominators who are:

  • registered in the same class and electoral district as you 
  • registered with CNO
  • in good standing (no fees owing)

After submitting the nomination form, CNO will provide you with the Council and Committee Code of Conduct and Compliance Form. By completing this form, you will: 

After completing the compliance form, if you are an eligible candidate you will receive a link where you will do the following:

  • Review the Council Attributes and Competencies Profile and complete a self-assessment form to reflect on your skills and attributes. The profile outlines all of the skills and attributes required on Council. Collectively, Council members will demonstrate the required skills. No single member is expected to bring all of these competencies to Council.
  • Respond to questions and voluntarily share aspects of your identity and lived experiences (optional). Candidate responses to the questions and information shared about your lived experiences will be shared with voters to help them make an informed choice.

Where are elections taking place this year?

Eastern

Composed of the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Prescott and Russell, the County of Renfrew and the regional municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.

  • Two RNs/NPs will be elected
  • One RPN will be elected 

Northeastern

Composed of the territorial districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Manitoulin, Parry Sound, Nipissing, Sudbury and Timiskaming, and the district municipality of Muskoka.

  • One RN/NP will be elected
  • One RPN will be elected 

Northwestern 

Composed of the territorial districts of Rainy River, Thunder Bay and Kenora.

  • One RN/NP will be elected
  • One RPN will be elected 

(Update: the available RPN positions from the Eastern, Northeastern and Northwestern Districts are acclaimed; no vote is needed.)

How to find your electoral district

If you live and work in different districts, here’s how to find your electoral district.

 

How to vote

CNO’s uses an election provider, Big Pulse Online Voting, to administer the ballots. Big Pulse will send all eligible voters an email on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, with your link to vote and information about the candidates. They will also send reminder emails on Wednesday, Jan. 28, and Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 — look for any of these emails to submit your vote.  

If you can’t find the email, be sure to check your junk/spam folder. If you need help, email elections@cnomail.org. Please include your registration number and your voting district in the email. 

The deadline to vote is 5 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.

Election Schedule

Related links

Stipend Policy
Expense Policy
Council and Committee Code of Conduct
Council Attributes and Competencies Profile
Council Member Role Description

Questions?

Send an email to elections@cnomail.org. Please include your name, registration number and electoral district.