Voters head to the polls across Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

Posted October 26, 2026 6:00 am

2 min read

2:30 Toronto’s mayoral race tightens one week before election

Voters across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area head to the polls Monday to elect mayors, councillors and school board trustees.

After weeks of campaigning, several high-profile races are set to be decided. Toronto’s mayoral contest between incumbent Olivia Chow and main challenger Brad Bradford is one of them.

Both frontrunners hit the pavement daily in the final week to reach undecided voters. Chow and Bradford have been quick to trade barbs throughout the campaign, with Chow last week accusing her opponent of neglecting residents in his own ward during his time as a city councillor. Bradford has claimed Chow has failed to address the city’s traffic and transit woes.

Chow’s key promises include measures to help lower grocery prices in the city, offer free lunches in schools and build more affordable housing units. Meanwhile, Bradford has pledged to freeze property tax rates in his first year as mayor and scrap the land transfer tax for homes under $1.1 million.

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In neighbouring Mississauga, former mayor Bonnie Crombie is attempting to reclaim her old job.

Crombie left the post at the beginning of 2024 to become leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. She had won a landslide victory in the 2022 municipal election. Crombie held Mississauga’s top job for nearly a decade, serving as the successor to Hazel McCallion who held the post for 36 years.

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Crombie led the Liberals to a third-place finish in the 2025 provincial election, although the party secured roughly 30 per cent of the popular vote.

She vowed to stay on as leader after returning the Liberals to official party status, but failed to win her own seat or any ridings in Mississauga. Crombie announced her resignation in September 2025 and formally left the role this past January.

Incumbent Carolyn Parrish, who has led Canada’s seventh-largest city since June 2024, is seeking her first full term as mayor. Parrish served on Mississauga’s city council for years before winning the mayoral byelection.

She was also a member of Parliament and a school board trustee before joining Mississauga council.

Notable names on municipal ballots Monday include Patrick Brown, who is seeking his third term as Brampton mayor; Steven Del Duca, who is seeking re-election as mayor of Vaughan; and Andrea Horwath, who is seeking a second term as mayor of Hamilton following a narrow victory in 2022.

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Voting hours in municipal elections are generally 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Ontario government, though voters should confirm times and locations through their municipality.

Global News will have live coverage from election night headquarters in Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton and Brampton on Monday. Other results from across the region will also be reported.

Global News’ election special will air from 8 to 10 pm. on broadcast, online and the STACKTV app — formerly the Global TV app.