How to Vote in Toronto’s 2026 Municipal Election

Everything below is drawn directly from City of Toronto and Government of Ontario election pages — not summarized secondhand. Figures were first checked July 27–28, 2026 and live re-verified again on August 5, 2026.

0. Two by-elections are happening first

Before Toronto’s Oct 26, 2026 municipal election, two overlapping by-elections vote: a federal MP by-election in Beaches–East York on Monday, August 31, 2026, and a provincial MPP by-election in Scarborough Southwest on Thursday, September 3, 2026. These run under Elections Canada and Elections Ontario rules, not the City of Toronto’s — different registration, different ID rules, different dates from everything else on this page. Candidate rosters and riding detail: Beaches–East York (Ward 19 page) · Scarborough Southwest (Ward 20 page, provisional roster).

Beaches–East York federal MP by-election — Aug 31, 2026

• Eligibility: Canadian citizen, 18+ on election day, resident in the riding since July 26, 2026.
• Election day: Monday, Aug 31, 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. (EDT) at your assigned polling station.
• Advance polls: Fri Aug 21 – Mon Aug 24, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
• Vote early (special ballot) at the local office: 2575 Danforth Ave, Unit 10, Toronto — any time until Tue Aug 25, 6 p.m. Hours Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 12–4 p.m. Tel. 1-866-236-8618.
• Vote by mail: apply online at ereg.elections.ca or at the local office by Tue Aug 25, 6 p.m.; the completed ballot must reach Elections Canada by election day.
• Registration: check or register at ereg.elections.ca, or register at the polls with the right ID.
• ID — three options: (1) one government photo ID with your name and current address; (2) two pieces of ID both with your name, at least one with your address; (3) no ID — declare your identity and address in writing and have a registered elector at your polling station vouch for you. Full list: elections.ca — ID to Vote.

Scarborough Southwest provincial MPP by-election — Sept 3, 2026

• Eligibility: Canadian citizen, 18+ on election day, resident of Scarborough Southwest.
• Nominations close: Thu Aug 20, 2026, 2 p.m. — the candidate list is provisional until then.
• Election day: Thursday, Sept 3, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. at your assigned voting location.
• Advance voting: Wed Aug 26, Thu Aug 27, Fri Aug 28, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. each day.
• Local election office: 2685 Kingston Rd (SW corner of Brimley Rd S), Scarborough — open through Sept 2, Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun 12–5 p.m. Tel. 1-833-305-3163.
• Vote by mail: apply by Fri Aug 28, 6 p.m.; your completed kit must be received by Elections Ontario by 6 p.m. on Sept 3.
• Registration: check or register at RegisterToVoteON.ca.
• ID: required, but photo ID is not — your appearance does not need to match any photo. On the voters’ list already: one piece of ID with your name. Not on the list: ID with your name and current address. ID may be shown on a mobile device. International ID and permanent resident cards are not accepted. Full rules: elections.on.ca — ID to vote.

Sourced directly from Elections Canada (Ways to vote — Beaches–East York, ID to Vote) and Elections Ontario (ID to vote in provincial elections), cross-checked against Beach Metro, Aug 11, 2026. All re-verified live 2026-08-15. Found something wrong, outdated, or missing? Tell us — Corrections.

This page is neutral how-to information. It does not tell you who to vote for, and it is not affiliated with any candidate or campaign.

1. Who can vote

The City of Toronto’s own rules say you must be all of these things:

• a Canadian citizen, and
• at least 18 years old, and
• a resident of the City of Toronto — or you don’t live here, but you or your spouse own or rent property in Toronto, and
• not prohibited from voting under any law.

That’s the honest, complete list. Citizenship is a hard legal requirement for voting in Toronto’s municipal election, not a technicality — the city’s page states it plainly, first in the list.

A few things that don’t disqualify you:

• You can only vote once, no matter how many properties you own or rent in the city.
• You must vote in the ward where you live (see the student rules below for the one exception).

Who is not allowed to vote, per the same page: anyone serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution; a corporation (corporations don’t get a municipal vote); anyone acting as an executor or trustee or in another representative capacity (proxy voting is the one exception to this); and anyone convicted of a corrupt practice under section 90(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.

If you’re not a citizen, here’s what you actually can do

If you’re a permanent resident, a worker or student on a visa, an asylum seeker, or undocumented, you cannot vote in this election under Ontario law — that’s true everywhere in the province, not just Toronto. But not being able to vote doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do: there is a wider range of non-voting civic actions open to anyone in Toronto, regardless of citizenship status, beyond what this page covers.

Students

Living in Toronto to attend school: if your permanent “home” (the place you return to when not in school) is somewhere else, you’re eligible to vote in both your home municipality and in Toronto. If your home and your school residence are both in Toronto, vote in the ward where your home is — not your school address.

Toronto residents studying elsewhere in Ontario: you may be eligible to vote in both places too. In Toronto, vote in the ward where your home is located, and bring ID showing your name and that qualifying Toronto address. If you can’t get to a Toronto voting place, you can appoint another eligible voter as your proxy (see proxy voting below).

2. Check, update, or add yourself to the voters’ list

Ontario keeps one shared list — the Permanent Register of Electors, usually just called “the voters’ list” or “the Register” — for both provincial and municipal elections. Elections Ontario, a provincial body, maintains it; the City of Toronto uses it to run this election.

You do not need to be on the voters’ list before election day to vote — you can be added at the voting place when you show up, as long as you bring the right ID (see What ID you need). But getting on the list ahead of time is faster and means you’ll be mailed a voter information card.

How to check or fix your information:

• Use Elections Ontario’s Voter Registration application at vreg.registertovoteon.ca, reached through RegisterToVoteON.ca — the tool toronto.ca itself links to for checking, updating, or adding your information for both municipal and provincial voting in one place.
• Or use the City’s own MyVote tool at myvote.toronto.ca to check your status once election-specific data for the 2026 general election is loaded (see the note below).
• Or email VoterRegistration@toronto.ca, or call 311.

Use these tools if you: moved, changed your name, now own or rent a new property, no longer own or rent a property you used to, or want to remove your information from the list.

Turning 18 soon? Ontario has a Register of Future Voters for eligible 16- and 17-year-olds — sign up and you’ll be added to the Register automatically when you turn 18. Details and eligibility are at RegisterToVoteON.ca.

Students: for municipal elections you can be entitled to vote in more than one municipality if your permanent home and your temporary student home are in different municipalities. You can list your permanent family home as your “home address” on the Register and your student home as an additional property you (or your spouse) own or rent.

Key list-update dates for 2026 (see the full calendar in section 5):

• Tuesday, September 1, 2026 — first day you can check, update, or add your information using MyVote, by emailing VoterRegistration@toronto.ca, or by calling 311. Updates for the final election-day list are accepted from September 1 through October 11 at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, September 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. — the cutoff to be on the list in order to be mailed a paper voter information card.

3. What ID you need

You need one — just one — piece of identification that shows your name and your qualifying Toronto address. Photo ID is not required.

Two things you cannot use: your voter information card is not ID, and your passport is not accepted either, because it doesn’t show your address.

Showing ID on your phone: you can show a document on your mobile device if that document was issued to you electronically — a digital phone bill or credit card statement, for example. You cannot show a photo, photocopy, or scan of a paper document that wasn’t issued electronically (a photo of your driver’s licence, for instance).

The City’s current examples of acceptable ID, exactly as published today:

• Ontario-issued photo card, driver’s licence, or motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion)
• Cancelled personalized cheque, credit card, or bank account statement
• Cheque stub, T4 statement, or pay receipt issued by an employer
• Statement of direct deposit for Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program
• Property tax assessment, income tax assessment notice, or Child Tax Benefit statement
• Mortgage statement, lease, or rental agreement
• Transcript or report card from a post-secondary school
• Document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution
• Any other document from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, or a municipality in Ontario, or a document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
• Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)
• Insurance policy or insurance statement
• Utility bill — hydro, water, gas, telephone, or cable TV
• Loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution
• Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid (T4E)
• Statement of Old Age Security (T4A-OAS), Canada Pension Plan Benefits (T4A-P), or Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits (T5007)
• CNIB card, or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities
• A document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, issued by the home’s administrator

This list, and the “one document, name plus address” rule, come from Ontario Regulation 304/13 under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 — a provincial regulation, not a Toronto-specific rule.

4. Ways to vote

Election day

Monday, October 26, 2026, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Advance voting

Tuesday, October 6 through Sunday, October 11, 2026, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day.

“Kids Vote” weekend — a mock-vote activity for children, not a real ballot — runs the same weekend, Saturday October 10 and Sunday October 11, at all advance voting places.

Mail-in (vote-by-mail)

• Tuesday, September 1, 2026 — first day to request to vote by mail.
• Thursday, September 24, 2026, 4:30 p.m. — deadline to request to vote by mail.
• Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 12 p.m. (noon) — deadline for Toronto Elections to receive your completed mail-in voting package.

You can request a mail-in package online or by phone (416-338-1111, press option 5) any time from September 1 through the September 24 deadline. Once approved, the City starts mailing packages out on September 14, 2026. You return the completed package either by dropping it in any Canada Post mailbox using the pre-paid postage on the return envelope, or by hand-delivering it to a secure, CCTV-monitored yellow Toronto Elections drop box — the City’s page says every ward will have a drop box (one part of the page says one per ward, another says two; exact locations will be posted starting September 1, 2026).

Once your mail-in request is approved you’re marked as having voted and shouldn’t vote again in person — if you change your mind and haven’t yet returned your package, you can still vote in person by completing a declaration and showing ID at the voting place. International voters can also choose proxy voting (see below) instead of mailing a ballot overseas.

Proxy voting (someone else votes on your behalf)

If you can’t get to a voting place on any of the above days, for any reason, you can appoint another eligible Toronto voter to vote on your behalf as your proxy. This is now fully published by the City — as of late July it wasn’t yet, and this is one of the two things that changed on this page since then.

• Your proxy must be someone eligible to vote in Toronto, and someone you trust to vote the way you want.
• Normally a proxy can vote for only one person. The exception: a proxy can vote on behalf of more than one immediate family member (spouse, sibling, parent, child, grandparent, or grandchild).
• To get a Voting Proxy Appointment Form, and to book an appointment to have it certified, contact Toronto Elections at 416-338-1111 or voterregistration@toronto.ca. The form must be signed by both you and your proxy before it can be certified.
• From September 1 through October 26 at 4:30 p.m., the form must be certified by the City Clerk. It can be certified in person at the Toronto Elections office (Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.) or at the North York Civic Centre (5100 Yonge St., ground floor).
• On election day itself, Monday, October 26, certification is only available at Toronto City Hall, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Getting your voter information card

• Monday, September 28, 2026 — voter information cards start being mailed to everyone who was on the voters’ list as of September 20, 11:59 p.m. Everyone on the list before October 11 at 7 p.m. can also get their card digitally through MyVote.

A voter information card is not required to vote — it’s a convenience, not a substitute for the ID rules in section 3.

5. Full 2026 voter date calendar (at a glance)

6. Accessibility options

Toronto publishes a standing Election Accessibility Plan, required under section 12.1 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, and updates it for each election. As of this page, the 2026 Plan lists the following voting options and supports:

• Voter Assist Terminals (VAT) at every advance voting place, and at two voting places per ward on election day itself. A VAT marks a paper ballot for you and lets you vote privately and independently — it has a touch screen, audio, a Braille keypad, a sip/puff tube device, a rocker paddle, and adjustable zoom/contrast. If a VAT isn’t at your assigned election-day voting place, you can call 311 in advance to arrange a ballot transfer to one that has one.
• Support persons and service animals are welcome in any voting place or City Clerk’s Office.
• In-person assistance — you can bring a friend or family member to help you vote, or ask an election official for help at the voting place.
• Proxy voting (see above) if you can’t attend a voting place at all.
• Curbside voting — if you can’t go inside, ask to have a ballot brought out to your vehicle or another location at the voting place.
• Institutional and retirement-home voting — voting places are set up at institutions with 20 or more beds occupied by people who are disabled, chronically ill, or infirm, and at retirement homes with 50 or more occupied beds; bedside voting is available where needed.
• Mail-in voting, including a Braille mail-in voting package on request (see above).
• Mail-in voting for eligible voters on remand in designated correctional facilities, through a liaison officer at the facility.
• Accessible supplies at voting places — magnifying bookmarks, note pads and pens, and “How to Vote” booklets in multiple languages and in Braille.
• All voting places are inspected for accessibility; locations that can’t be made accessible are relocated or merged with a nearby accessible location.

Accessibility questions or concerns — dedicated contact channel:

• Phone: 416-338-1111, press 6
• Email: AccessibleElections@toronto.ca
• Fax: 416-395-1300
• TTY: 711

7. Work the election — paid jobs

The City hires thousands of temporary, paid election officials to run the October 26, 2026 election. Applications go through the Election Jobs Registration Portal on toronto.ca.

Basic eligibility (all positions): legally entitled to work in Canada, and 18 years of age on or before voting day.

You are not eligible to work the election if you are: a candidate or registered third party advertiser; an immediate family member of a candidate; or actively working to support or oppose a candidate in the Toronto municipal election.

Published pay by position (election-day rate, per the current job postings):

* VAT Officer requires a minimum commitment of four days of advance voting in addition to election day, and previous election-official experience.
** Standby Officer requires a valid driver’s licence and use of a vehicle and cell phone on election day.

Time commitment (most positions): about 2.5 hours of training (in-person and online, mandatory) — about 3 hours for Standby Officer — plus election day itself: 8 a.m. until dismissed, typically around 9 p.m.

Practical notes from the City’s posting: training pay is bundled into your total event pay, but you’re not paid at all if you attend training and then don’t complete your shift, and you’ll be removed from your assignment if you skip training. Cheques are targeted to go out roughly six weeks after election day. If you don’t have computer or internet access to apply, get interviewed, or complete online training, the City points to Toronto Public Library locations, Toronto Employment & Social Services offices, or community employment hubs — or call the Toronto Elections recruitment line at 416-392-9121 (TTY 711).