Knowing how municipal elections work in Ontario is important because it allows for better representation of local needs in decision making, better understanding of the impact of politics, and better shared enthusiasm within communities. The next municipal election will be held Monday, October 26, 2026.
Councillors are elected through the “first-past-the-post” system, meaning voters each choose one candidate for a position, and the candidate with the most votes is elected. They may be elected according to ward or “at-large”, depending on the municipality. When elected at-large, all councillors represent the entire municipality, and when municipalities are divided into wards, voters elect one or more councillors to represent their ward. In an at-large election, the voters choose among all candidates in the election. For example, if a council has eight (8) positions, the eight candidates with the highest number of votes win the election and become the new councillors. Read more here.
