On October 26, Toronto will hold its municipal election, where voters will choose the next mayor and their representatives in City Council, affecting how the city allocates its funds.
If you’re a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older and reside in Toronto, you can cast your vote. You’re also eligible if you own or rent property in the city but live elsewhere.
Students from other parts of Ontario who study in Toronto can vote in both their home municipality and Toronto. Just make sure to vote in the ward where you actually live, not just where your school is.
If you’re a Toronto resident studying at an institution outside the city, you may be able to vote in both locations, but it’s best to check with the City Clerk of your school municipality for confirmation.
Before heading to the polls, verify that you’re on the voters list, know which ward you belong to, what ID you’ll need, and when and where voting takes place.
Voter’s List
Being listed as a voter streamlines the voting process. If your name was on the list before September 20, expect to receive your voter information card (VIC) by mail.
You can add yourself to or update your details on the voter’s list and even print out or download your VIC using Toronto’s My Vote tool if it hasn’t arrived by mail.
The cutoff for making changes to the voter’s list is 7 p. m. on October 11. After that date, any updates must be done at your polling station during advance voting or on election day itself.
Note: Even if you’re not on the voter’s list, you can still vote as long as you meet all eligibility requirements mentioned earlier.
When to vote
Election Day: October 26 from 10 a. m. to 8 p. m.
Advance polls: October 6 through October 11 from 10 a. m. to 7 p. m.
Mail-in voting deadline: All packages must reach Toronto Elections by noon on October 14.
Voter’s list deadline: Changes must be made by 7 p. m. on October 11; afterward, only adjustments can be made at polling places.
Where to vote
Toronto consists of 25 wards; where you cast your ballot depends on your residential ward.
You can find out which ward you’re in using Toronto’s address lookup tool.
Your specific voting location will be indicated on your VIC or can also be found via My Vote tool.
What to bring to vote
When going out to vote, bring identification that displays both your name and address in Toronto for verification purposes with election officials-photo ID isn’t necessary.
You can present any of these documents as valid ID:
Identification issued by either Canada or Ontario like a passport, driver’s license or Ontario ID card; hospital records; tax documents. Bank statements such as account statements or credit card bills; canceled checks; loan agreements. Utility bills including hydro bills; water bills; gas bills; telephone bills; cable TV statements. Documents provided by an employer such as pay stubs; T4 slips; pay receipts; direct deposit statements from Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
If you’ve received it by mail or printed it out yourself, bring along your voter identification card too. While having a VIC isn’t compulsory for voting, it does help speed up check-in since it confirms you’re listed as a voter.
For further details about participating in Toronto’s upcoming municipal elections including candidate information, click here.
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