Election Overview
Ontario municipal elections are scheduled for October 26, 2026. Residents of Ontario will be asked to cast their ballot for three different roles, the Mayor, local Councillor and School Trustee. Both your vote for mayor as well as council representative fall within municipal government, overseeing local priorities in your city, town or region. Since 2018, greater attention has been given to the structure of municipal government in Ontario, with the introduction of Bill 5, Better Local Government Act, 2018, that reduced the size of Toronto City Council from 47 wards to 25. In the years to follow, there have been further changes to Council sizes across the province and new legislation that redefines various roles and responsibilities, now in effect for the current election season. These changes impact the way your region makes decisions, spends money and sets priorities on key issues such as a housing, transit, safety and community well-being. This guide is a compilation of information and resources to help inform your decision on October 26th, and support your ability to stay engaged and up-to-date in-between election cycles. This is an evolving information page that will be updated on a continual basis.
Governance changes that impact you
The Ontario government introduced the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022 outlining changes to how municipal councils make decisions by giving mayors in certain municipalities additional power to over-ride decisions and greater authority over municipal budgets. The introduction of strong mayor powers, along with the expansion of the mayoral role, means that the vote cast for mayor holds even more importance than in previous years. Historically, municipalities in Ontario have not traditionally had a “strong mayor” system, a system where mayors have majority control over decision-making on their Council decisions. While they’re often viewed as the key spokesperson on behalf of a municipality, as well as its public representative, Mayors previously operated within a council structure comprised of a single vote. With strong mayor powers now expanded to over 200 municipalities*, provincial policy files such as housing and province-wide infrastructure proposals and projects can now be further backed or supported by your local Council solely through the decision of your mayor. Check here to see if your municipality has strong mayor powers.
Another new change to governance includes the appointment of Regional Chairs to upper-tier municipalities in Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York. These Chairs would then receive “strong chair” powers, giving them the same decision-making authority as outlined in strong mayor powers, but on a regional level. This appointment would be made by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Regional Chairs are responsible for the interest of the upper-tier municipality (for example, Peel Region) versus the individual interest of a lower-tier municipality (for example, Mississauga). This change is significant, because similar to the role of a strong mayor, appointed chairs would be able to further advance provincial policy priorities, veto regional council decisions and more.
For more information, check out TVO Today’s segment, Why is Ontario Expanding Strong Mayor Powers? | The Rundown.
2022 Municipal Election Recap
The last municipal election took place four years ago, on October 24, 2024. Voter turnout in the province (the proportion of people who voted in the election), was 32% according to data provided by the Government of Ontario*. Out of the 10, 274 194 people who were eligible to vote, 3, 236 486 made it to the polls. The municipality with the highest voter turnout was Town of Latchford in Northeastern Ontario, with a turnout of 74%, compared to Toronto, which had a voter turnout of 29%.
Voter turnout is important because the more people that vote within a particular region, the more its Council is directly comprised of votes by the majority of people who live there. When voter turnout is low, that can be an indication that a local Council may not be made up of representatives who can appropriately govern in the interest of it’s residents, and that even perhaps vital information needed to introduce new laws and policies may not be as available.
In many places around the world governments have laws that make voting mandatory. While, that doesn’t exist here in Canada, there are many initiatives and organizations that exist to encourage people to vote, particularly during election season. Voting is a key pillar of a healthy democracy. The expansion of strong mayor powers since the last municipal election has now raised the stakes. Your vote for mayor holds more weight than before, and can directly influence the direction of your municipality.
Election Information
Civic Engagement Initiatives
Get informed and/or involved with these civic engagement initiatives that educate, prepare and encourage the public to make an informed vote on October 26th.
Toronto Library: Know Your Vote
A candidate tracking tool that lists mayoral and councillor candidates and their responses to questions that impact voters the most.
- Website: Know Your Vote TO
- Geographical Focus: Toronto
Toronto Star: Vote Compass
A candidate tracking tool that allows you to see which candidate(s) you’re most aligned with.
Initiative: Vote Compass
Geographical Focus: Province-wide
Democratic Engagement Exchange: Voice the Vote
Voice the Vote helps you use your voice, cast your vote, and shape your community in the municipal election on October 26th, 2026.
Website: Voice the Vote
Tools Available:
- Handbooks, conversation guides, and posters
- Training sessions
- Micro-grants
Geographic Focus: Toronto, York Region and Peel Region
The Local: Candidate Tracker 2026
Find reported, fact-checked info about every Toronto candidate for mayor, councillor, and school trustee—in every ward, all in one place.
Geographic Focus: Toronto & Peel Region
Policy Reports
Policy issues such as housing, transit, child care & use of public space are key areas where municipal leaders (Councillors, mayors and Heads of Council) can make an impact.
- Social Planning Toronto – Make Child Poverty an Election Issue
News Reporting
Increasingly, the journalism landscape in Canada is changing, with the decline of news reporting in local communities and the closure of some news organizations all together. Election reporting is a vital part of a healthy democracy. It helps the public find, sort out and make sense of political information, election commitments and announcements.
Voting Information
Get prepared to vote, whether it may be during advanced polls or on election day.
Municipal Organizations
A list of municipal policy & political organizations that focus on generating new ideas and advancing solutions on municipal issues.
Association of Ontario Municipalities
AMO works to make municipal governments stronger and more effective. Through AMO, Ontario’s 444 municipalities work together to achieve shared goals and meet common challenges.
The Canadian Urban Institute is a national charity driving place-based solutions to make communities better places to live for everyone. CUI’s mission is to work collaboratively with partners to address urgent social, economic, environmental, and cultural challenges while supporting long-term resilience, vibrancy, and prosperity in communities across Canada.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
FCM has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. Our members include almost 2,000 municipalities of all sizes, from Canada’s cities and rural communities, to northern communities and 20 provincial and territorial municipal associations. Together, they represent more than 90 percent of all Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Municipal leaders from across Canada assemble each year to set FCM policy on key issues.
OBCM provides a voice for big city mayors in policy debates that impact Ontario cities. Through policy development, advocacy, discussion and partnerships, Ontario’s Big City Mayors support strong and effective cities.
Footnotes
- The province first gave the municipalities of Toronto and Ottawa strong mayor powers in 2022, with other municipalities receiving their powers in the years to follow. Currently over half of the municipalities in Ontario now have strong mayor powers.
- 2022 elections provided from the Government of Ontario is missing for 5 municipalities in the categories of Number of Electors & Number of Electors Who Voted: Dorion TP, Oil Springs V, Thornloe V, Hornepayne TP, Laurentian Hills T. However according to data by the Association of Municipalities, is 33%.