Nominations to Run in Ontario's Fall Municipal Elections Close Today
Polls show 59% of Toronto respondents want faster decisions, while high-profile candidates enter races in Mississauga, Hamilton and Guelph.
- On Friday, August 21, 2026, Ontario municipal election nominations close at 2 p.m., finalizing ballot choices for the October 26 vote across the province.
- The final days saw a flurry of high-profile entries, including former Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, though political observers raised concerns about seats with only one or zero candidates.
- In Toronto, former Conservative minister Chris Alexander and council member Brad Bradford are challenging mayor Olivia Chow, while an Ipsos poll of about 800 residents found 59 per cent want faster city decisions.
- Zachary Spicer of York University notes competitive mayoral races boost voter turnout, whereas a lack of challengers creates a "reverberating effect" that decreases council campaign participation.
- Beyond Toronto, races to watch include Mississauga following the late Hazel McCallion, Hamilton where incumbent mayor Andrea Horwath faces "considerable challenges," and Guelph as three-term mayor Cam Guthrie leaves the top job.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Bradford Today
Nominations to run in Ontario's fall municipal elections now closed
TORONTO — Ontarians now have a clearer picture of the choices they'll face at the ballot box this fall. Would-be candidates had until 2 p.m. to register for the Oct.
Nomination deadline closed to run in Ontario's municipal elections this fall
The nomination period for candidates in municipal elections across Ontario has come to a close as of 2 p.m. Friday, setting a clearer picture of the choices voters will face at the ballot box in the fall.
The Toronto Star
Nominations to run in Ontario’s fall municipal elections now closed
Would-be candidates had until 2 p.m. to register for the Oct. 26 vote, though some early birds began making their pitches in earnest long before Friday's deadline.
Winnipeg Free Press
Nominations to run in Ontario's fall municipal elections close today
TORONTO - A clearer picture of the choices Ontarians will face at the ballot box is set to emerge this afternoon as nominations for the fall municipal elections come to a close.
Beyond the Headlines – today’s deadline for election candidates this fall
There is still time to submit your name to run in school board or municipal government elections in Quinte, but I won’t be joining you. I will say, however, that it’s an experience well worth having and a job (if you are fortunate) that serves a vital role in our community. The deadline to submit your nomination papers is 2 pm this afternoon, along with the fee and the required signatures. I remember well my own experience running for one of the…
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