Ontario voters head to the polls for election day after snap winter campaign
Just over 6% of eligible voters cast an early ballot, Elections Ontario data shows
Ontario's political party leaders have criss-crossed the province, released their platforms and made their pitches over the past month — now it's decision day for voters.
It has been an unusual election, with candidates battling icy stairs, brutal snowstorms and frigid temperatures while canvassing in the first winter campaign since 1981.
Most Ontario elections also haven't included a party leader leaving the province during the campaign, but Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford made two trips to Washington, D.C. — as premier — to push back against threatened American tariffs.
Ford called the snap, $189-million election saying he needs a new mandate to deal with four years of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made repeated threats to put tariffs on Canadian goods that could greatly harm Ontario's economy.
"The stronger the mandate, the stronger the message we'll send together: Canada will never be the 51st state. Canada is not for sale!" Ford said in a post on X , formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
The other three major party leaders say this election was unnecessary, in part because Ford already had a large majority government with well over a year left in its mandate.
NDP, Liberals campaigned around health care
Ford made tariffs and the economy the focal point of his campaign, while Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie centred her campaign on a promise to connect every Ontarian to a family doctor, and NDP Leader Marit Stiles spoke a lot about health care and affordability.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner was the first to release a fully costed platform, with many promises on various provincial policy issues including building more housing, protecting farmland and improving affordability.
The party is hoping to not only hold onto Schreiner's seat in Guelph and another in Kitchener Centre they picked up in a 2023 byelection, but also to add a third in Parry Sound-Muskoka — a seat the Greens have long had their eye on and where they came second in 2022.
In a post on X Thursday, Schreiner said people across the province are ready for a government that prioritizes fairness in the housing market, health-care system and for the environment.
"No matter who you are voting for, make sure you vote," the post read.
Just before the start of the election campaign, Ford said he needed "the largest mandate in Ontario's history," but he ended the campaign with a slightly different tune.
"I don't look at the numbers," Ford said Wednesday morning in Windsor. "I just want to win."
The Progressive Conservatives won 83 out of 124 seats in the 2022 election, with the NDP capturing 31, the Liberals getting eight and the Greens snagging one. At dissolution, the Tories had 79 seats, the NDP had 28, the Liberals had nine and the Greens had two. There were six independents.
If Ford's government wins re-election, it will be his third term as premier, and when asked if he would eventually seek a fourth term, he said he wants to serve even longer than Hazel McCallion was Mississauga mayor. She won 12 successive elections.
"Man, I want to be premier forever," Ford said.
In a statement Thursday morning, NDP Leader Marit Stiles asked Ontarians to vote for "a government that will always be on your side."
"In tough times like these, you can trust New Democrats to fight rising costs, protect public health care and build more housing," the statement read. "We'll stand strong for workers and communities."
Winter weather advisory lifted Thursday
Weather advisories were in effect across much of the province early Thursday morning, as Environment Canada said snowfall was possible in areas such as the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa. The advisory lifted around 9:45 a.m.
It also issued snowfall warnings for some northern regions including Thunder Bay, where accumulations of 15 to 25 centimetres are expected.
While its yet to be seen if this latest blast of winter weather will affect voters, disability advocates in Toronto have warned some people may face accessibility issues on election day as the city continues cleanup from back-to-back snowstorms.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, meanwhile, spent time campaigning in Oakville on Wednesday — a riding the Liberals hope to take from the Tories — and canvassing in Mississauga.
Crombie was mayor of Mississauga for three terms and is hoping that her record and name recognition there turn all six ridings in the city from blue to red.
But the Progressive Conservatives are fighting hard to prevent that, paying particular attention to Mississauga East-Cooksville, where Crombie is running, in the hopes of keeping her out of the legislature.
Several candidates who have served as cabinet ministers have been out in the riding campaigning for PC candidate Silvia Gualtieri, who is also the mother-in-law of former Progressive Conservative leader and current Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.
Crombie said she accompanied her 89-year-old mother to the polls on Thursday.
"My mom knows that elections shape the future of our province, and she wants to vote for a government that truly prioritizes health care for seniors like her," Crombie said in a post on X.
Polls opened at 9 a.m. Thursday and will remain open until 9 p.m. Anyone waiting in line at that time will still be able to cast their ballot.
Voting machines at Portland Place in Spadina-Fort York had "some issues" Thursday morning, but voting has since resumed at the location, said Norm Di Pasquale, the NDP candidate for the riding, in a post on X.
Just over six per cent of eligible voters cast an early ballot before election day, according to data from Elections Ontario.
Still undecided? Here's a guide to help you make your choice.
With files from CBC News