London Municipal Elections 2026 Information

This was written as part of a resource post for a local Discord server for London Municipal Elections 2026.

Municipal Election

The next municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026, with voting hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You will be voting for:

• Mayor
• Your Ward Councillor
• Your School Board Trustee

Note: With less than 24 hours until voting begins, this post is written with providing reliable information as quickly as possible, especially to those that haven’t yet read up on their candidates. Thus, I have linked to London Decides. This site states it uses AI research tools to “dig” for sources. Primary sources are provided with most information on the site. Review it as necessary.

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Voting Matters

In 2022, only ~25% of voters chose the mayor and the city’s councillors. The record low turnout handed a small group of people a disproportionate amount of power over a city of more than 400,000.

At the same time, lower turnout means that ballots carry greater weight. London’s Ward 13 race in the 2022 election came down to 34 votes. That councillor now represents 20,000 people.

City council shapes your daily life. They control our roads, water, buses (many of us have qualms about LTC and the BRT), municipal bylaws, and development in our communities.

Municipal by-law can affect workers directly. Municipalities have tried passing by-laws to allow retail businesses to open on most public holidays; this can strip up to eight paid days off from retail workers. Region of York passed such a bylaw with no public consultation. Toronto and Brampton have tried as well.

Your voice matters.

Claims & Jurisdictions

Jurisdiction matters. Some candidates’ claims do not reflect what the city can actually directly control. For instance, municipal officials can only advocate for health care as health-care delivery is provincial. On the other hand, claims such as “I’ll cut property taxes” is firmly within city council’s power.

Other issues are not so clear-cut. For instance, for housing, the city controls zoning, development proposals, and what to do on city land. However, the province manages the landlord-tenant law and sets housing targets. Significant transfers are made from the federal government.

City council is responsible for things like property-taxes, zoning, planning, roads and urban infrastructure maintenance, recreational facilities, sanitary, size of police budgets, local by-laws, and London Transit funding and service levels.

Issues

About Transit

In 2026, the city has voted to return to a board of seven with four councillors and three citizen appointments (still in the air). Regardless, the elected officials you vote on have a direct effect on London Transit.

Some of the gaps are the unfinished, scaled-down, and budget-overridden BRT network, unclaimed federal and provincial transfers, frequency issues, fare affordability, paratransit, and poor urban planning where bus routes are established long after a subdivision has been built.

46% of riders in 2025 were satisfied with its on-time performance. In 2026, LTC’s average on-time performance was 78.9% with September sitting at 63%.

Read more: https://londondecides.ca/files/transit/

About Schools

London is home to four public school boards. Note that the largest, Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) is under provincial control due to an investigation; its trustees have reduced power.

The trustee ballot is the most overlooked ballot. Consider reading up on trustee’s positions. EDI policies and position report cards are included two sections below.

School board trustees decide the school board’s budget, where schools are located, leadership hiring, school calendar, codes of conduct, and busing.

For the LGBTQ+ community, because a school board trustee has power over codes of conduct, voting is important in protecting the rights and safety of queer students.

About EDI and Inclusion

Information from @cityoflondon.ont Final report card for school board trustees based on questions about EDI policies and inclusion. Report card is solely based on responses to the questionnaire.

About Climate Change

Information from @climateldnont Provides a report card on each mayoral and councillor candidates’ responses to questions about climate action

London Decides Website

For those doing last-minute research into their candidates and are unsure where to start, consider using London Decides. It is a volunteer-run website that sourced responses, track records, and positions for every candidate. Every piece of information about a candidate or claim by a candidate has a primary source for review.

Note: London Decides uses AI research tools to ‘dig’ for the material. The material is checked before publishing. Consider checking the source attached with the claim to verify.

Getting Ready to Vote

Voter Notification Card

You should have been sent a voter notification card to your registered address already.

The card contains your assigned voting location. You cannot choose another voting location. You can still add your name to the Voters’ List in person on Voting Day, Monday, October 26, 2026.

Students

If you are a student living in London to attend Fanshawe College or Western University, you can update your information to your current London address.

Note that while the deadline to update your Voters’ List information online has passed. You can still add your name to the Voters’ List in person on Voting Day, Monday, October 26, 2026.

You will be able to vote in London AND in your home municipality this election.

Western University - you can update your address and generate a letter with your local address through Western Votes.

Accessible Voting

If you find voting by paper ballot difficult, you can bring a friend or relative to help you mark the ballot. When you arrive at the poll, be sure to tell the greeter you have someone assisting you.

Accessible Elections for London Ontario

Identification

Identification is required when you vote.

You will need to show ID which contains your name and address. You may have to show two pieces of ID to accomplish this. Photo ID is not needed. A utility bill or driver’s license works.

See here for a list of accepted identification.

Ward Map

When reviewing candidates, double check the ward you belong in.

Am I On The List & Where Do I Vote?

Use the Am I on the List/Where to Vote? online tool below to find your ward and voting location.

Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Diverse Voters

Information for trans, non-binary, and gender diverse voters such as gender markers, ID photo concerns, and name changes.

All Links

City of London	Municipal Elections Information for Voters Voters’ List Electoral Wards
Province of Ontario	2026 Voters’ Guide
Other	London Decides