Community groups are working to get more Toronto voters to the polls on October 26
Organizations including Voice the Vote and North York Harvest Food Bank held engagement events ahead of the Toronto municipal election, as advance turnout hit its highest total in more than a decade.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on globalnews.ca.
Community organizations across Toronto held voter engagement events in the weeks before the October 26 municipal election, as the city reported its highest advance voting total in more than a decade.
Voice the Vote, a joint initiative by Toronto Metropolitan University's Democratic Engagement Exchange and United Way Greater Toronto, held a fair at Lawrence Heights Community Centre. Global News reported that the event drew 200 people and that 20 were taken to a nearby advance polling site. The advance voting period ran from October 6 to 11 and is now closed.
More than 222,000 people cast advance ballots in Toronto's 2026 municipal election, Global News reported, the highest advance total the city has recorded in more than a decade.
Rania Ahmed of the Democratic Engagement Exchange told Global News that her group's work focuses on a gap in public knowledge. "A lot of people don't know that the issue they care about is tied to municipal government," she said.
Abby Tait, a senior public affairs officer at United Way Greater Toronto, described Voice the Vote as built around local issues. "We developed this community-led project focused on grounding the municipal election in local issues," she told Global News.
Jonathan Dong of Voice the Vote told Global News that showing up sends a message. "Showing up is how people know that you're important, and if you don't show up, you don't get a say," he said.
North York Harvest Food Bank also took part in the Lawrence Heights event. The fair drew residents to a venue where a hot dog cart and an ice cream truck were set up alongside information tents, according to Global News.
Lydia Miljan, a political science professor at the University of Windsor, told Global News that the connection between local decisions and residents' daily lives is not always clear to voters, which is part of why municipal turnout tends to be lower than provincial or federal elections.
Toronto's 2022 municipal election saw overall turnout below 30 per cent, and the 2023 mayoral byelection reached 37 per cent, Global News reported. Global News reported the 2018 municipal election had turnout of 41 per cent.
Voters who have not yet cast a ballot can vote on Election Day, Monday October 26, 2026. Polls open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The City of Toronto's website has a tool to find the polling station for your address. Toronto voters choose the mayor, one councillor for their ward, and school board trustees. The full candidate list is at /on/toronto-2026/candidates.
Questions this story answers
When is Toronto's 2026 municipal election?
Election Day is Monday, October 26, 2026. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting ran from October 6 to 11 and has now closed. You can find your polling location on the City of Toronto's website. Voters choose the mayor, one councillor for their ward, and school board trustees.
How many people voted in Toronto's advance polls in 2026?
Global News reported that more than 222,000 people cast advance ballots in Toronto's 2026 municipal election, the highest advance total in more than a decade. For comparison, the 2023 mayoral byelection had a final turnout of 37 per cent and the 2022 municipal election saw less than 30 per cent.
What is Voice the Vote?
Voice the Vote is a non-partisan voter engagement initiative run jointly by Toronto Metropolitan University's Democratic Engagement Exchange and United Way Greater Toronto. It produces community-led election handbooks that connect local issues to what city government does. The initiative held a fair at Lawrence Heights Community Centre ahead of the 2026 Toronto municipal election.
What did the Lawrence Heights voter fair involve?
Community members gathered at Lawrence Heights Community Centre for a non-partisan voter engagement event organized by Voice the Vote and North York Harvest Food Bank. Global News reported that 200 people attended and that 20 participants were taken to a nearby advance polling site on October 9, 2026, one of the advance voting days.
Why do some Toronto residents not vote in municipal elections?
Rania Ahmed of Toronto Metropolitan University's Democratic Engagement Exchange told Global News that many people do not know their concerns connect to what city government does. She said the group's outreach focuses on showing residents the link between local issues and the municipal election. North York Harvest Food Bank and United Way Greater Toronto were also part of the engagement effort.
How does Toronto's 2026 advance turnout compare to past elections?
Global News reported that more than 222,000 people cast advance ballots in 2026, the highest number in more than a decade. The 2022 Toronto municipal election saw overall turnout below 30 per cent. Global News reported the 2018 municipal election had turnout of 41 per cent, and the 2023 mayoral byelection reached 37 per cent.
What can I do if I did not vote in advance in Toronto?
You can vote on Election Day, Monday October 26, 2026. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. across Toronto. Use the City of Toronto's online tool to find the polling station for your address. You will need to bring identification or sign a Declaration of Identity if you have none.
Who organized voter outreach events in Toronto before the 2026 election?
Voice the Vote organized events, including a fair at Lawrence Heights Community Centre. Voice the Vote is a joint project of Toronto Metropolitan University's Democratic Engagement Exchange and United Way Greater Toronto. North York Harvest Food Bank also took part in the Lawrence Heights event. These events are non-partisan and do not endorse any candidate.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
Topics
More from voche.me
222,550 voters cast advance ballots in Toronto's 2026 election, a new record
Toronto advance voting ends today at 7 p.m.
