How to vote

Who can vote

You can vote in London's election if you are a Canadian citizen, you are 18 or older on election day (October 26, 2026), and you have a connection to London. Under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, that connection can come three ways: you live here, you own or rent property here even though you live somewhere else, or your spouse owns or rents property here.

The non-resident case, plainly: if you own a cottage, rental property, or business property in London but live in another city, you can vote in London's election on top of voting where you live. You (or your spouse) must personally own or rent the property. Owning through a corporation alone doesn't qualify you.

Permanent residents and other non-citizens aren't eligible, even if they live and pay taxes in London.

• Canadian citizen
• 18 or older by October 26, 2026
• You live in London (own, rent, shared accommodation, or no fixed address but consider London home), OR you or your spouse own or rent property in London

Get on the voters' list

The City runs the voters' list tool now. Check or update your entry, add yourself (with ID showing your name, date of birth and London address), find your ward and find out where to vote. It takes a couple of minutes and saves time at the voting location.

Students, renters and anyone who has moved recently are the most likely to be missing or stuck at an old address. Check even if you've voted in London before.

Not on the list at all? You can still be added, including at your voting location on election day itself. Just bring ID that proves your name and address.

• Check or update your entry at london.voterservices.ca
• Questions: London's Elections Office, elections@london.ca or 519-661-4535
• Not on the list on voting day: you can be added on the spot with acceptable ID

When to vote

Election day is Monday, October 26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at your assigned location only. Advance voting runs eight days in early October, same hours, and on those days you can use any location that is open.

You don't have to show up in person

London runs a vote-by-mail option alongside in-person voting, under a by-law council passed for this election (legal basis: section 42(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the same provision that lets any Ontario municipality offer alternatives to in-person voting). Any voter on the voters' list, or able to get on it with ID, can apply. You don't need a disability or any special circumstance to qualify.

This matters most if you won't be in London on or before October 26, whether that's a student who considers another city home, someone away for work or travel, or anyone who'd rather not stand in line. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is September 14.

• Register for a Vote by Mail ballot between September 1 and September 14, 2026, by 4:30 p.m., online at london-vbm.voterservices.ca or with a paper application to London's Elections Office
• Approved kits mail out starting around September 29, 2026
• Return your completed ballot by mail by October 15, 2026, or drop it off at the Elections Office by 8 p.m. on October 26, 2026

Where to vote and what to bring

On election day you vote at your assigned location, printed on the voter notification card the City mails out, or look it up at london.voterservices.ca. Unlike advance voting, you can't pick a different location on October 26.

Bring one document that shows your current name and address. Photo ID is not required. A utility bill with your name and address is enough on its own. A Canadian passport does not count, because the address inside it is self-reported.

If your ID shows an old address, update your entry at london.voterservices.ca beforehand, or bring a second, current document (like a recent utility bill or bank statement) that shows your new address. No acceptable document at all? If you're already on the voters' list, you can sign a Declaration of Identity at the voting location instead.

• Ontario driver's licence or Ontario Photo Card
• Ontario health card
• Utility bill (hydro, water, gas, phone, or cable)
• Bank, credit card, RRSP, or T5 statement
• Mortgage statement, lease, or rental agreement
• Property tax assessment or bill
• Income tax assessment or child tax benefit statement
• Pay stub or T4 statement
• Ontario Works or ODSP statement
• Band Council document (under the Indian Act)
• Campus residence document from a post-secondary institution
• Long-term care home record

Students: you may have two votes

This is the most commonly misunderstood rule in Ontario municipal voting. In the province's own words: "If you are a student and consider your 'home' to be the place where you live when you are not attending school (that is, you plan on returning there), then you are eligible to vote in both your 'home' municipality and in the municipality where you live while attending school."

In plain terms: if you're a Fanshawe or Western student from another city who still considers that other city home, you can vote in London's election AND in your home municipality's election. You don't have to pick one.

This applies whether you rent, live in residence, or live with roommates in London. If you need proof of your London address, a campus residence document from your school counts as acceptable ID.

You may not have to travel to cast both ballots. Every Ontario municipality chooses its own voting methods under the Municipal Elections Act; many, including London, offer vote by mail, and some offer online or telephone voting, meaning you can often vote in your home election without leaving London. Contact your home municipality's clerk directly to find out what it offers; London's own vote-by-mail option is covered above.

New to Canada? Voting for the first time

You must be a Canadian citizen to vote. If you've recently become one, you're eligible as soon as you meet the age and residency rules above.

How the ward system works, briefly: London is divided into 14 geographic wards, and each elects one councillor to sit alongside a citywide mayor. So you cast three votes: one for mayor (citywide), one for your ward's councillor, and one for a school board trustee for whichever board is tied to your address. Several ward boundaries changed for 2026, so even past London voters should double-check which ward they're in now.

At the voting location it typically takes a few minutes. Staff verify your identity against the list and hand you your ballot(s); you mark them in a private voting screen, then feed them into a tabulator. You're allowed to bring notes, a list of names or anything else to help you remember your choices. There's no rule against it.

If you want help understanding the process, London's Elections Office can walk you through it: elections@london.ca or 519-661-4535. Elections Ontario also publishes voter-registration guidance in multiple languages.