Voting can be intimidating — whether you’re figuring out if you’re eligible to vote in the first place or trying to find where the polling stations are.
Can I vote in this municipal election?
- are a Canadian citizen
- are at least 18 years old on election day
- live in Toronto, or you or your spouse own or rent property in the city
- are not prohibited from voting under Ontario’s Election Act.
You can vote if you:
- are a Canadian citizen
- are at least 18 years old on election day
- live in Toronto, or you or your spouse own or rent property in the city
- are not prohibited from voting under Ontario’s Election Act.
Need more specifics? We answered some common questions, below.
Can students vote?
Post-secondary students living in Toronto during the school year may be eligible if they meet the requirements listed above. You’re also eligible to vote in your hometown instead.
Can renters vote?
Yes. You don’t have to own a home in the city to have a say! According to Statistics Canada, almost half the city is made up of renters and I’m one too. Renting an apartment, condo or house in Toronto can qualify you to vote if you otherwise meet the eligibility requirements.
I just moved. Can I still vote?
Yes, you can! If you’ve recently moved, make sure your address is updated on the voters’ list. If it’s not, you can update your information before election day or at your voting place.
Can permanent residents vote?
Unfortunately, they can’t. Only Canadian citizens can vote. So if you’re a student on a visa in Canada, or you only have a permanent resident status, you can’t vote. But you can still attend town halls, volunteer to support candidates and help friends who can vote research their options and be informed to head out to the polls.
When can I not vote?
If you’re under the legal age, are not a Canadian citizen and don’t live in Toronto, then you can’t vote in the upcoming election.
You can’t vote if you’re currently serving a jail sentence or if a court has banned you from voting because of a serious election-related offence under the Municipal Elections Act. It doesn’t happen often and you’d know if you were affected, because it would be part of your court order.
How do I register to vote?
There’s a ton of confusion when it comes to whether or not you’re supposed to register to vote.Â
News flash: if you just moved to Toronto or if you’ve changed your address, then yes, you do have to register.
- You can use Ontario’s Voter Registration website to check, update, add or remove your information from the voters list.
- Make sure to register to vote through Ontario’s Register to Vote page by Aug. 12, 2026.
- When you modify or add your information, you’ll need a valid piece of identification. There’s a list of what you can use online; some options include a driver’s license, an Ontario photo card, a school admission letter if you’re a student, a hydro bill and more.Â
- If you’re 16 or 17 — meaning you can’t vote quite yet — there’s a cool option for you to add yourself to the Ontario Register of Future Votes list by filling out an application.
Don’t worry if you’re seeing this too late, because you can still register or correct your information through Toronto Elections directly, or by bringing a valid ID to the polling station on election day.Â
What if I own a property in Toronto and another property in a different city?
If you live part-time in Toronto and part-time in a different city, you might be able to vote in both of those cities. That’s why it’s important to register all your properties to avoid losing out on participating in the municipal election.Â
You can add or search for an additional property to be eligible to vote in the municipal election.
📸: Sikander Iqbal/OPENVERSE.
When and where do I vote in Toronto’s municipal election?
Election day is happening on Monday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and advance polling will happen from Tuesday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
You’ll have to vote in your actual ward. Polling stations are often located in schools, community centres and churches. You can check out your assigned voting location on your voter information card when you receive it in the mail.
When you head out to the poll, make sure to bring a valid piece of ID.
Live in a different city now, but still want to vote in your home city’s election? You can mail-in your vote. Applications for mail-in votes open Sept. 1 and close Sept. 24, 2026.Â
Candidate nominations close on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m., so expect more details on who’s running and where your polling station is at the end of summer.
Got more questions about the election? Email me at aia@thegreenline.to and ask away! The Green Line team is preparing a pocket guide that you can use to prepare, plus an Action Journey to keep you informed, so keep an eye out for our election coverage.
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