The New Democrats in Ontario have set the leadership contest rules that will see the party's new president by the first week of March 2023.

The party's governing council issued the rules late on Friday, saying candidates wishing to compete for the top position have a deadline until early December to register.

Anyone seeking leadership is expected to submit 100 signatures supporting their nomination, with at least 50 percent from women and 25 percent from party members known to be members of other equality-seeking groups.

The leader will be chosen through ranked ballot voting, meaning voters can select the candidates they prefer in differential order, and contestants will participate in two leadership debates throughout the race.

The leadership race kicked off last month when Andrea Horwath, who led the New Democratic Party for 13 years, resigned following the June 2 local elections that saw her party return to the official opposition status in the legislature.