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Welcome to Election Day, Toronto
City Hall on Friday, October 22. Photo by Michael Chrisman/Torontoist.
It’s finally here.
A year of anticipation, months of campaigning, thousands of volunteer hours, and innumerable policy pronouncements come down to today. Toronto will have, before bed, a new mayor, a City Council with at least nine new faces, and a new direction for the next four years.
If you, like a significant percentage of Torontonians, still aren’t sure who to vote for, or aren’t sure where to cast your ballot, here’s a rundown of essential information:
- Mayoral Candidates. All the leading contenders have extensive websites that outline their policies; you can find them here: Rob Ford, Joe Pantalone, George Smitherman. We’ve also put together summaries of their positions on several key issues if you want to see some comparisons.
- Ward Issues and Council Candidates. We’ve got complete profiles on every ward in the city, including links to all the candidates in each one. Just find your ward on the map right here, and click on it to learn more.
- Endorsements. We’ve made some. Here’s what we think about the mayoral race. And here are our picks for twelve of the most dynamic council races.
- Voting Procedures. Polls are open from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and you do not need to have pre-registered or received a voter information card in order to cast a ballot. If you are an eligible elector, all you need to do is show up at your polling place with proper identification.
- Results. They will be available right here at Torontoist, updated every sixty seconds, along with commentary and updates from many of the candidates’ headquarters. Our liveblog starts at 7:30 p.m. and results will start coming in shortly after the polls close, half an hour later.
Our message today: go vote. It is the single most fundamental way we each get to have a part in shaping the city we live in and love.