Ontario Municipal Elections Underway With Polling Stations Closing at 8 p.m.

Ontario residents headed to the polls on Monday, Oct. 26, for the 2026 municipal elections, with both in-person voting and remote options scheduled to close at 8 p.m. Each of the 414 municipalities in the province determines how its local elections are conducted, leading to variations in opening times and voting methods.

While many large municipalities maintained traditional in-person paper ballot voting from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.—including Toronto, Ottawa, Brampton, Hamilton, London, Markham, Vaughan, Kitchener, Windsor, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Burlington, and Greater Sudbury, with Mississauga opening at 9 a.m.—other communities opted exclusively for remote voting.

Municipalities such as Barrie, Brockville, Clarence-Rockland, Dryden, Kawartha Lakes, Kenora, North Bay, Owen Sound, St. Thomas, Temiskaming Shores, Brant County, Loyalist Township, Clarington, and Innisfil conducted their elections using combinations of internet, telephone, and mail-in voting. In Barrie, online and phone voting had been available continuously since Oct. 16.

Under provincial guidelines, Ontario workers are legally entitled to three consecutive hours to cast their ballots during voting hours. Employers are required to make scheduling accommodations when necessary, though they retain the discretion to determine the most convenient time for employees to be absent.

To participate in person, voters must present valid identification displaying their name and address. Acceptable documents include an Ontario driver's licence, a photo health card, utility bills, property tax assessments, bank statements, and various other government-issued records or financial documents.

The Province of Ontario establishes common regulations for voters and candidates, while individual municipalities manage the administration of elections for local councils and school board trustees. Voting for these municipal positions occurs every four years.

As election day unfolded, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario provided informational resources and posted official election results on its website to keep the public informed of the final outcomes across the province.