Undecided about who to vote for in Toronto's mayoral byelection? This guide will help
Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on Monday
Toronto will elect a new mayor Monday and maybe, like a lot of potential voters, you've been too busy or just plain uninterested in following the daily ins and outs of the 45-day campaign.
We get it. But if you want to cast a ballot and aren't sure who to vote for, CBC Toronto has got you covered.
Here's a roundup of key information about the byelection and our coverage of the candidates vying for your vote to help you make an informed decision.
We'll have full coverage of the byelection results when polls close at 8 p.m. ET on June 26. You can watch our streaming special on cbc.ca/toronto or on YouTube, or tune in to CBC Radio or CBC Listen.
If you already voted at an advance poll or you're already sure about who you'll be supporting, please consider sharing this story with someone you know who isn't quite there.
If that someone is you, read on.
I need to get up to speed on the issues
Toronto is facing a lot of really big challenges these days — so many that it can be hard to keep up with them all.
Here is CBC Toronto's Chris Glover with a quick breakdown of the pressing problems that have defined this election. Which of the issues matter most to you? That's something to think about while you contemplate your top pick for mayor.
WATCH | These issues may decide the mayor's race:
I have no idea who all the candidates are
You can hardly be blamed for being overwhelmed. There will be 102 names on the ballot for mayor (yes, you read that right), more than any other election in the city's history.
We reached out to each and every single one of those candidates to ask two things: why they want to be mayor, and where the public can find more about their platforms. Not every candidate responded, but you can read the answers of those who did here.
If that's all a bit much, public opinion polls suggest there are about seven or eight candidates who have emerged to lead the field.
Find more from them below.
Where do the leading candidates stand on issues?
All of the top candidates have websites where you can find their full platforms or a list of all their various promises.
To save you from that timely undertaking, CBC Toronto put together an interactive platform tracker where you can quickly compare where those candidates stand on the issues of housing, public safety, transit, tenant protections, gridlock, livability and the city's budget. Check it out here.
We also hosted a mayoral debate on June 6 that touched on a lot of key topics. You can read a recap here or watch the whole contest below:
I'd prefer to hear from candidates directly
Then you're in luck. CBC Radio's Metro Morning did extended one-on-one interviews with eight top candidates throughout the campaign. You can check them out, in the order they happened, below:
Tell me more about how the campaign unfolded
Even if you haven't followed the campaign at all, CBC Toronto's municipal affairs reporter Shawn Jeffords certainly has. He's filed weekly dispatches from the trail, exploring major themes and answering key questions. If you have time and want to get a sense of how the campaign played out, catch up on Shawn's recaps here.
Week 1: Political scientists predicted a fiery campaign and laid out what it'll take to win
Week 2: Candidates sparred over cell service on the TTC amid safety concerns on the transit system
Week 3: Ontario Place and the Science Centre became the hot topic
Week 5: Congestion, construction and how the [expletive deleted] Torontonians are supposed to get around
Week 6: 102 candidates are vying for Toronto's top job. Here's what you need to know
Week 7: Should you trust opinion polls in Toronto's mayoral byelection? It's complicated
Week 9: Toronto's billion-dollar budget gap looms in the background of mayoral byelection
Week 10: The battle for eyes and ears heated up
Week 11: Mayoral hopefuls jockey to knock Olivia Chow from top spot as election day nears
Week 12: Is this a change election? Key election questions answered
WATCH | Quizzing Toronto on the mayoral byelection:
What do I need to know about voting?
Voting takes place Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. You have to vote a polling station in your ward. The city's MyVote site is the best resource to find the polling place closest to you.
To vote in the mayoral byelection, you must be:
- A Canadian citizen.
- At least 18 years old.
- A resident in the city of Toronto or a non-resident of Toronto, but you or your spouse own or rent property in the city.
- Not be prohibited from voting under any law.