What to know
- Toronto recorded 222,550 advance voters, the highest total across the past five municipal elections.
- Turnout significantly exceeded the 129,745 ballots cast during the 2023 mayoral by-election’s advance voting period.
- North York’s share of advance votes rose to 27.8 per cent, while Downtown Toronto and Scarborough saw their shares decline compared with 2023.
- Eligible voters who requested mail-in ballots must return their completed packages by noon on Oct. 14, ahead of election day on Oct. 26.
With just two weeks remaining until election day, advance voting in Toronto has surged, with more than 222,000 eligible voters casting their ballots during the six-day voting period, according to the City of Toronto.
Advance voting closed on Oct. 11, with a total of 222,550 eligible voters participating, marking a significant increase from previous municipal elections.
The daily advance voting totals were as follows:
- Tuesday, Oct. 6 – 36,743 voters
- Wednesday, Oct. 7 – 31,018 voters
- Thursday, Oct. 8 – 28,666 voters
- Friday, Oct. 9 – 33,579 voters
- Saturday, Oct. 10 – 39,181 voters
- Sunday, Oct. 11 – 53,363 voters
The turnout represents a significant increase from the 129,745 eligible voters who cast ballots during the advance voting period for Toronto’s 2023 mayoral by-election.
In fact, this year’s advance voting total is the highest recorded during the advance voting period across the past five municipal elections.
The figures for previous elections are as follows:
- 2023 mayoral by-election – 129,745 votes
- 2022 Toronto municipal election – 115,911 votes
- 2018 Toronto municipal election – 124,299 votes
- 2014 Toronto municipal election – 161,147 votes
- 2010 Toronto municipal election – 77,365 votes
North York gains share of advance voters
Research from Liaison Strategies suggests that North York accounts for a larger share of advance voters this year, while Downtown Toronto and Scarborough account for smaller shares compared with the 2023 mayoral by-election.
“Downtown still supplies four in ten advance votes. But compared with the last mayoral election, its share has slipped from 41.0 per cent to 40.1 per cent,” said David Valentin, principal of Liaison Strategies.
“North York has gained the most share, rising from 24.9 per cent to 27.8 per cent.”
According to Liaison Strategies, Scarborough’s share of advance votes declined from 21.2 per cent in 2023 to 19.1 per cent this year, despite an approximately 54 per cent increase in the number of advance ballots cast in the area.
Mail-in voting deadline set for Wednesday
Eligible voters who requested to vote by mail must return their completed mail-in voting packages to Toronto Elections by noon on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The city advises voters to place their completed packages in one of 25 secure, indoor yellow Toronto Elections mail-in voting drop boxes located across Toronto, with one box in each ward.
According to the city, the drop boxes are monitored by closed-circuit television, inspected regularly and emptied daily by election staff.
Toronto’s 2026 municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26.
