It’s election day in Ontario, with voters across the province heading to the polls to choose their next provincial government.
Here’s everything you need to know about election day, including how to vote, what the issues are and where to watch results.
Why are we having an early election?
Ontario was not scheduled to have a general election until June 2026. But in late January, Doug Ford said that he needed a “strong mandate” from the people to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats against Canada. The Ford government indicated that they might have to spend billions of dollars to stimulate the economy if the tariff threats go ahead, making it impossible to keep a promise they ran on in the 2022 election to balance the books.
Other parties have accused Ford of taking advantage of favourable polling numbers and of trying to have an election ahead of an RCMP investigation into the Green Belt scandal.
Who’s running in the Ontario election?
Doug Ford is leading his Progressive Conservative Party into a third election, hoping to earn a third majority government, perhaps with a stronger mandate than his last one.
Bonnie Crombie is leading the Ontario Liberal Party into an election for the first time since she became the party’s leader more than a year ago in December 2023. She’s looking to bring her party back to official party status following disastrous showings in the past two elections.
Meanwhile Marit Stiles is carrying the banner for the Ontario NDP, also for the first time since becoming leader. She’s hoping to form government, but she may face a challenge just hanging onto her spot as official opposition if the Liberals are able to make significant gains.
The Ontario Green Party is once again counting on longtime leader Mike Schreiner to bolster their fortunes. Schreiner is hoping to improve his party’s seat count. He won his own seat in the 2022 election and the Greens picked up another in Kitchener Centre in a 2023 byelection. He’ll be looking to keep both of those while making gains elsewhere.
You can find more information on your local candidates using your postal code on the Elections Ontario website.
What are the main issues?
The tariff threat has undoubtedly stolen the spotlight in the provincial election, despite the fact that it’s a matter which will be dealt with primarily at the federal level.
Over the past few weeks Trump has kept Canadians guessing with a series of comments threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty. He has maintained an atmosphere of uncertainty around the tariffs, keeping the issue very much alive in the minds of Canadians, especially in Ontario, where the manufacturing sector could be particularly hard-hit.
Ford has campaigned on his ability to handle the tariff threat under the slogan “Protect Ontario.” His efforts to campaign on the tariffs while at the same time managing the threat in his capacity as premier have drawn accusations that he has improperly blurred the line between premier and candidate, as set out in the caretaker convention.
The other parties have laid out plans to handle the threat of tariffs, but have tried to avoid Ford’s efforts to frame the election around the issue, instead focusing on his record.
Crombie has focused heavily on health care, calling out Ford the failures in the system and frustration many Ontarians have trying to find a family doctor. She’s promising to connect every Ontarian to primary care within several years if elected, a promise echoed by the other parties.
Stiles has focused on government management, taking aim in particular at Ford’s questionable deals such as the Ontario Place redevelopment plan. Schreiner has sounded a similar note, emphasizing “fairness” for all
Proposals from the parties include a series of affordability measures, as well as promises around congestion, education and infrastructure.
How do I vote in the Ontario election?
Polls are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To vote, you must be 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of Ontario.
If you received a voter information card in the mail, it will tell you where to go to vote in your riding. Bring the card with you, along with one piece of ID showing your name to receive a ballot when you go to vote.
If you don’t have a voter information card, bring one piece of ID showing both your name and home address. You don’t need photo ID to vote and your identification can be on your phone.
You can look up your voting place using your postal code on the Elections Ontario website.
Weather
This is the first time Ontario has held a general election in February since 1883. There have been concerns that the winter weather could discourage voters from coming to the polls, especially in the wake of a massive snowfall last week.
However in terms of Thursday’s forecast, the weather is not expected to be too harsh. Several days of above-zero weather have meted some of the snow.
Periods of snow are expected in Toronto Thursday morning, along with a 40 per cent chance of rain showers or flurries in the afternoon. The city is expected to see a high of 4 C, though.
Elections Ontario also says that it is working closely with municipalities across the province to ensure that voting places are clear.
Where to watch Ontario election night results?
Election results will start trickling in after the polls close at 9 p.m.
CTV News and CP24 will have full coverage of all the results, including an interactive online map of all the ridings.
The CTV Ontario Election Special begins at 7 p.m. EST and will be streamed on CP24.com, the CP24 App, CTVNewsToronto.ca and the CTV News App. It will also be broadcast live on CP24, CTV News Channel, BNN Bloomberg and iHeartRadio talk radio stations in Ontario and the iHeart Radio app.
Click here for full information about where to watch and check out our dedicated election page for up-to-minute coverage.
What do the polls say?
Nightly tracking done by Nanos Research suggests Ford could be poised to be re-elected, with the latest poll released on Wednesday showing the Tories had the support of 41 per cent of decided voters.
That compared to 28.7 per cent support for the Liberals, 14.8 per cent for the NDP, and 3.5 per cent for the Green Party. About 1.8 per cent said they planned to vote for another party, while 10.3 per cent said they were still unsure.
The poll surveyed 920 Ontarians by phone and online between Feb. 20 and Feb. 22. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
