How to Vote — Ontario Municipal Elections | OneGlobalVoice
Ontario Municipal Elections

How, when and where to vote

Every municipality in Ontario votes on Monday, October 26, 2026 — mayor, council and school board trustees. Advance voting, voting by mail and voting locations are set locally, so the dates below are listed city by city.

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Key dates

September 1

Voters' list is set

From this date on, changes to your name or address go through your municipal clerk rather than the provincial register. You can still be added at the voting place.

Late Sept – Late Oct

Advance voting

Each city picks its own advance days. Most fall in the first three weeks of October. Deadlines to apply for a mail-in ballot are usually in mid-September.

Monday, October 26

Election day

Voting places are open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. across Ontario. Some long-term care and retirement homes have shorter hours.

Who can vote

You can vote in a municipality's election if, on election day, you are:

  • at least 18 years old
  • a Canadian citizen
  • a resident of the municipality, or a non-resident owner or tenant of land there, or the spouse of such an owner or tenant
  • not prohibited from voting under any law

You do not need a party membership — municipal candidates in Ontario do not run for parties. If you own or rent property in more than one municipality, you may be eligible to vote in each of them, but only once per municipality.

What to bring

One piece of identification showing your name and your address in the municipality. It does not have to be photo ID, and you do not need two pieces. Commonly accepted:

  • Ontario driver's licence or Ontario photo card
  • a utility, cable, phone or internet bill
  • a bank or credit card statement
  • a lease or rental agreement, or a mortgage statement
  • an income tax assessment or a government cheque stub

The voter information card mailed to your home is a convenience, not ID — bring it if you have it, but bring an accepted document too. The full list of accepted documents is set by the province and published on your city's election page.

Ways to vote

Not every method is offered everywhere. Mail-in and internet voting exist only where the municipality has passed a by-law allowing them.

On election day

Vote at the place assigned to your address, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Your voting location is printed on your voter information card and can be looked up on your city's election website. Some cities let you vote at any location in your ward.

Advance voting

Vote days or weeks early at a smaller number of locations. During advance voting many cities let you vote at any advance location in the city, not only the one near your home. Dates are listed by city below.

By mail

Where offered, you apply for a mail-in or special ballot kit, usually online or by form, and the deadline to apply is well before election day — often mid-September. The completed ballot must be back with the clerk's office by their stated deadline; mailing it on election day is too late. Kits can normally also be dropped off in person.

By proxy

If you cannot vote in person at all, you can appoint someone who is also eligible to vote in that municipality to cast your ballot. Both of you sign a proxy form and it is certified by the clerk, generally by 4:30 p.m. on election day.

Accessible voting

Every municipality must publish an accessibility plan. Options usually include level entrances, ballot-marking machines that let you vote privately, magnifiers, curbside or home visits, and bringing a friend or relative to help you mark the ballot — tell staff when you arrive.

Not on the list

You can be added to the voters' list at the voting place on the day you vote. Bring ID showing your name and address in the municipality, and expect to sign a declaration.

Your city

Advance voting dates and mail-in rules are decided by each municipality. Where a city has published its 2026 dates we list them; otherwise the link takes you to the clerk's election page, which is the authority.

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No match. Ontario has 444 municipalities and this list covers the larger ones — if yours is missing, search your municipality's name plus "2026 election" or call your municipal clerk.

Confirm with your clerk before you go

Locations, hours and mail-in deadlines can change late in the campaign. Your municipal clerk's office is the official source, and the Province keeps a plain-language voters' guide at ontario.ca/page/municipal-elections.

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