Municipal Election · City of Toronto
How to Vote in Toronto
To vote in Toronto’s 2026 municipal election you need to be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older on Monday, October 26, 2026, and living in Toronto or renting or owning property here. Check the voters’ list on MyVote, choose whether to vote on election day, early, by mail or by proxy, and bring one piece of ID with your name and Toronto address.
MyVote is the City of Toronto’s own voter lookup.
Voting in five steps
Most of this takes about ten minutes, and step two does the heavy lifting.
Step 1: Check that you can vote
You need to be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older on election day, either living in Toronto or renting or owning property here, and not prohibited from voting under any law. All four conditions have to be true, not just one.
Step 2: Look yourself up on the voters' list
MyVote is the City's own portal. Enter your address and it tells you whether you're registered, which ward you're in, and where your voting place is. If you're missing or your details are out of date, you fix it there. Registering online closes October 11 at 7 p.m.
Step 3: Pick how you want to vote
Four ways, and you only use one: in person on election day, in person during advance voting from October 6 to 11, by mail, or by appointing someone you trust as your proxy. Voting by mail is the one with the earliest deadline — applications opened September 1 and close September 24 at 4:30 p.m.
Step 4: Sort out your ID before you go
Bring one document showing your name and your Toronto address. Photo ID is not required, and a passport doesn't work because it has no address on it. Your voter information card does not count as ID either, which is the single most common reason people get turned away.
Step 5: Vote — and know who you're voting for
Your ballot has three choices: mayor, the councillor for your ward, and a school board trustee. The council race is the one that decides what actually gets built on your street, and it is usually the one nobody has read about.
Who can vote
All four have to be true — this is an and, not an or.
A Canadian citizen
Permanent residents and other non-citizens cannot vote in Ontario municipal elections, however long they have lived in Toronto.
At least 18 years old
You must be 18 on election day itself — October 26, 2026 — not on the day you register.
A resident of Toronto, or an owner or tenant of property here
Non-residents qualify if they, or their spouse, own or rent property in Toronto. You still get only one vote, in one ward.
Not prohibited from voting under any law
This is the narrow statutory exclusion — for example, someone serving a sentence in a penal institution.
What ID to bring
One document, showing your name and your Toronto address. That is the whole requirement.
Myth — “You need photo ID”
You don't. One document showing your name and your qualifying Toronto address is enough — a utility bill on its own will do.
Myth — “Your voter information card is your ID”
It isn't. The card tells you where to vote, but it is not accepted as identification. Bring something from the list as well.
Myth — “My passport will do”
It won't. A passport carries no address, and the City lists it as not acceptable. Every accepted document has to show your qualifying Toronto address.
Myth — “A photo of a document on your phone works”
Only if the document was issued electronically in the first place — a digital phone bill is fine, a photo or scan of a paper one is not.
Government ID
An Ontario driver's licence or photo card, or another document issued by the government of Canada, Ontario, or an Ontario municipality — as long as it shows your Toronto address.
Where you bank
A bank or credit card statement, or a cancelled personalised cheque.
Where you work or study
A pay stub, a T4, a post-secondary transcript, or student residence documentation.
Where you live
A lease or rental agreement, a mortgage statement, a property tax assessment, or a home insurance policy.
Household bills
A hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable bill in your name at your Toronto address.
Other
A government benefit statement — Employment Insurance, Old Age Security or CPP — court-issued documents, or Band Council documents issued in Ontario.
What’s on your ballot
Three choices. Twenty-six mayor and council races run across the city, but you vote in exactly one of the council ones.
Mayor
One citywide race. Every Toronto voter votes in it.
Your ward councillor
One of 25 ward races. You vote only in the ward you live in — which is why looking up your ward is the first useful thing you can do.
A school board trustee
Which board you vote for depends on your school-support designation. MyVote shows you the trustee race on your own ballot.
Frequently asked questions
How do I vote in Toronto?
Check that you are eligible, look yourself up on the City's MyVote portal to confirm you are on the voters' list and find your voting place, choose whether to vote on election day, during advance voting, by mail, or by proxy, then bring one piece of ID showing your name and Toronto address. Toronto's 2026 election is Monday, October 26.
Am I registered to vote in Toronto?
Enter your address on MyVote, the City of Toronto's voter lookup, and it will tell you whether you are on the voters' list. You can add or update your information there until October 11, 2026 at 7 p.m. If you miss that, you can still be added in person when you go to vote.
What ID do I need to vote in Toronto?
One document showing your name and your qualifying Toronto address. Photo ID is not required — a utility bill, bank statement, lease, pay stub or property tax assessment all qualify on their own. A passport does not work, because it shows no address, and your voter information card is not accepted as identification either, so bring something from the City's list.
Can I vote in Toronto if I rent?
Yes. Renting rather than owning makes no difference to your eligibility. A lease or rental agreement is also one of the documents accepted as proof of address at the polls.
Can I vote in Toronto if I am not a Canadian citizen?
No. Ontario municipal elections require voters to be Canadian citizens, regardless of how long they have lived in Toronto or whether they pay property tax here.
Can someone else vote for me in Toronto?
Yes, by proxy. You appoint another eligible Toronto voter, and the appointment form has to be certified by the City Clerk — from September 1 up to 4:30 p.m. on election day, though on election day itself only at Toronto City Hall. A person can normally act as proxy for one voter, or for more if they are immediate family.
Where do I vote in Toronto?
At the voting place assigned to your address, which MyVote will show you once you enter it. Advance voting places are different from election-day ones and there are fewer of them, so check before you travel rather than assuming.
Who am I actually voting for?
Three choices: mayor, the city councillor for your ward, and a school board trustee. Toronto has 25 wards and you vote in only one of them — the council race is usually the least-covered and most directly consequential vote on your ballot.
Do I need to register in advance to vote in Toronto?
Registering in advance is easier but not required. The online deadline to add or update your voters'-list information is October 11, 2026 at 7 p.m., and after that you can still add your name in person during advance voting or on election day.
Eligibility, identification and voters’-list rules here are summarised from the City of Toronto’s own pages on elections, accepted ID and the voters’ list. Toronto Elections is the authority — where anything here disagrees with toronto.ca, believe toronto.ca.
You know how. Now the harder question.
The council race on your ballot gets almost no coverage and decides most of what happens on your street. We track all 26.
Start here
Everything above depends on being on the voters’ list. Checking takes under a minute on the City’s portal.
Check your registration