Here’s everything you need to know about election day, including when, where and how to cast a ballot.
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you → ’ → ballot
Who gets elected in the municipal election?
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Who → elect → election
Toronto voters will elect a mayor, 25 city councillors and 29 school trustees across Toronto’s four school boards.
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voters → elect → boards
This is the first municipal election in which the Toronto District School Board will elect 12 trustees instead of 22 after the Ontario education minister announced sweeping education reforms that included capping the number of trustees at Ontario’s boards.
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that → elect → boards
The TDSB was placed under provincial supervision in June 2025, suspending the powers of all current trustees.
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TDSB → place → trustees
Trustees elected in the upcoming election will not have official duties or regular powers until the province officially ends the supervision.
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province → elect → supervision
Municipal and school board elections will also be held across the GTA and the rest of the province.
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elections → hold → province
Elected officials at City Hall are responsible for most of the local services and programs residents rely on, including community centres, parks, water treatment, garbage pickup, snow removal, the TTC, shelters, libraries and emergency services such as police, paramedics, fire and the mental health crisis teams.
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residents → elect → police
They also make crucial decisions about commercial and residential development, affordable housing and property taxes.
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They → make → development
In total, Toronto’s mayor and council oversee an annual operating budget of about $18.9 billion in 2026.
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mayor → oversee → 2026
It’s important to distinguish what the city isn’t responsible for, as well.
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city → ’ → what
Many of our public services, such as health care, education, other types of transportation and licensing, colleges and universities, justice and civil rights, provincial taxation — and even municipal governments themselves — are subject to legislation by the provincial government.
Meanwhile, the federal government is responsible for national and international matters that affect the entire country, like national defence, Indigenous and foreign affairs, currency, federal taxes, the economy and Employment Insurance.
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that → affect → defence
At times, different levels of government can partner up to fund different projects, like certain city-run youth violence prevention programs or the new waterfront park.
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levels → partner → programs
When is election day? What time do polls open and close?
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polls → open → time
Along with other municipalities across Ontario, Toronto will head to the polls on Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Is there early polling?
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Toronto → head → p.m.
Yes, advance voting runs from Oct. 6 to Oct. 11 (between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.) at 50 locations across Toronto, two in each ward.
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voting → run → ward
You can find your assigned advance voting location for the 2026 election by using the city’s MyVote tool.
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You → find → tool
What ward do I live in?
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I → live → ward
You can find your ward by entering your address into the city’s Members of Council lookup tool or the city’s MyVote tool.
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You → find → tool
Where can I find my nearest polling station?
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I → find → station
The city recommends checking its MyVote tool before heading out because voting locations can change.
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locations → recommend → tool
How do I vote by mail?
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I → vote → mail
The deadline to apply for mail-in voting was Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m. through the city’s MyVote tool.
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deadline → apply → tool
If your application is accepted, you will receive a mail-in voting package, which you must complete and mail back by Oct. 14 at 12 p.m.
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you → accept → p.m.
You can drop your voting package in a Canada Post mailbox or one of the 25 secure yellow drop boxes, one in each of the city’s wards.
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You → drop → wards
You can find a map of where they are on the city website.
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they → find → website
The drop boxes are secured with extra locks and cabling, and will be monitored by CCTV cameras from Oct. 1.
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boxes → secure → Oct.
City staff will collect the ballots daily from Oct. 1 to Oct. 14 at noon.
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staff → collect → noon
Who’s eligible to vote?
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Who → vote → ?
You are eligible to vote — and can only vote once — if you’re a Canadian citizen, a Toronto resident (if you’re not, you or your spouse must own or rent property in Toronto) and at least 18 years old.
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you → vote → Toronto
You cannot vote if you’re serving a sentence in a penal or correctional institution, or if you’ve been convicted of a “corrupt practice” under the Municipal Elections Act, according to the city.
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you → vote → city
Students have special rules.
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Students → have → rules
If you temporarily live somewhere else while attending school, but consider Toronto your permanent home, you can vote in both Toronto and the municipality where you live while studying.
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you → live → Toronto
International students cannot vote in the municipal elections unless they are Canadian citizens.
Can I vote in more than one municipality?
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I → vote → municipality
If you qualify to vote in more than one municipality, you can vote in all of those municipal elections.
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you → qualify → elections
For example, if you qualify as a resident elector in Mississauga, and as a non-resident property owner and/or tenant in Toronto, you can vote in both of those city elections.
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you → qualify → elections
However, within Toronto, you can only vote once and only in the ward you live in, even if you have multiple properties across various wards.
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you → vote → wards
How do I check if I’m on the voters’ list?
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I → check → list
To add your name to the voters’ list, confirm you’re already on it or change your voter information, visit the city’s MyVote tool, send the city an email or call 311 before Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.
If you miss that deadline, you can still add your name to the voters’ list at your local polling station when you show up to vote.
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you → add → station
What do I need to vote?
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I → need → What
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
