The following newsletter went out to subscribers on October 15th with the headline Are you Ready to Vote on October 26th? Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
In just 11 days, on October 26, Toronto will be holding an election for Mayor, City Council, and School Board Trustee. Voting is one of the most powerful and immediate democratic tools we have to shape how decisions are made at City Hall. Every vote carries the same weight, regardless of the voter's income, political affiliation, or professional background. Last week, 222,550 Torontonians made their voices heard during the advance voting period, significantly more than in previous elections. Now is the time to keep that momentum going.
You are eligible to vote if you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, and either a resident in the city of Toronto or a non-resident whose spouse or partner, or who themselves, own or rent property in Toronto. You do not need to register in advance to vote, but you will need to bring proper identification with you on election day. Learn more about where to vote and see the full list of acceptable identification on the City of Toronto’s MyVote page.
Social Planning Toronto has a list of voting resources, which we regularly update with new links. In recent weeks, we’ve added a voter guide from Kerry’s Place for people with disabilities and their caregivers, a toolkit from the Toronto Drop-in Network to assist voters without permanent addresses, candidate survey results from TTCriders and Toronto Environmental Alliance, and a one-page fact sheet that breaks down what different levels of government are responsible for. In this newsletter, we’ve highlighted some more resources, including The Local’s candidate tracker.
SPT is a non-partisan organization. This means we don’t endorse specific candidates. We do, however, put forward policy recommendations that reflect our core mission of improving equity, social justice, and quality of life in Toronto.
Our platform, A City for All, was built through extensive research, community partnerships, and resident engagement. Across six pillars (housing, climate, transit, wellness, economy, and affordability) we have made 36 policy recommendations that we hope our next City Council will adopt in the interest of building a Toronto where all residents can thrive. See the full platform and find out how you can take action. We invite you to take a look at our policy recommendations and see how councillor and mayoral candidates’ platforms align with our calls for a more livable and equitable Toronto.
In this issue:
- SPT’s Election Fact Sheets now available in Farsi and Spanish
- See a Map of 2022's Voter Turnout
- SPT Signs Onto Open Letter Supporting a National Strategy for Children and Youth
- Election Resources from the Local
- New Campaign Draws Attention to Need for Nonprofits
- Event: Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy Summit (November 14)
SPT’s Election Fact Sheets now available in Farsi and Spanish
Social Planning Toronto has created six fact sheets outlining key issues this election, in line with each of the City For All pillars. Each fact sheet outlines proposed policy solutions, and questions you can ask your City Council candidates about how they plan to take action if elected. We have also created a two-page platform overview that outlines the major City for All priorities.
The fact sheets are now available in Farsi and Spanish, as well as Tamil, Bengali, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese. Access the fact sheets.
We encourage all Toronto residents to print and circulate these resources with their friends and communities. Instagram graphics based on the City for All policy pillars are also available.
See a Map of 2022’s Voter Turnout
In the 2022 City of Toronto municipal election, 563,124 votes were cast, representing a voter turnout of 30%. Social Planning Toronto has created an interactive map representing Election Day voter turnout by ward and subdivision. We have also created a downloadable document that has street maps for subdivisions with lowest voter turnout rates and a significant population size.
The purpose of this information is to identify areas in the city where residents may experience barriers to democratic participation, and to support community organizers with targeted outreach.
Voting subdivisions are small geographic areas that include one or more polling stations. At the individual subdivision level, the turnout calculation does not include votes cast through Mail-in Voting or Advance Vote.
We encourage every reader of this newsletter to try and get three of their friends, family members, or neighbours to go out and vote. Learn more about how you can encourage voter turnout in your communities with our Election Engagement Toolkit.
SPT Signs Onto Open Letter Supporting a National Strategy for Children and Youth
Social Planning Toronto endorses an open letter penned by Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty urging the Federal Government to champion the swift passage of Bill S-212.
Per the letter, Bill S-212, A National Strategy for Children and Youth Act provides a practical and urgently needed framework to end child poverty once and for all. It would require the federal government to work with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, partners, families and children and youth themselves, to develop a coordinated national strategy with measurable objectives, an action plan and regular reporting to Parliament.
Earlier this year, Social Planning Toronto and Campaign 2000 published Advancing the Promise for Toronto’s Children: Child and Family Poverty Report Card, Toronto 2026. The report draws on the latest available taxfiler data from 2023 to reveal the growing and deepening experience of child poverty. One in four children in Toronto is growing up in poverty. Along with the report, SPT created a Take Action sheet, which includes questions to ask your Toronto City Council candidates, and an interactive map that shows child and family poverty rates by ward.
Election Resources from the Local
The Local Magazine’s Candidate Tracker features reported, fact-checked biographies and platform summaries for every Mayoral, Council, and Trustee candidate running in the 2026 municipal election. This year, they have also launched Candidate Trackers for Brampton and Mississauga.
The Local’s regularly updated Debate Tracker lists every mayoral and ward-level debate across Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton.
New Campaign Draws Attention to Need for Nonprofits
You’re Already Part of It, a new campaign from Imagine Canada, emphasizes the role that nonprofits provide in our everyday lives.
Only 41% of Canadians say they know someone who has used a nonprofit's service. Yet many more have visited a museum, enrolled their children in daycares or summer camps, or relied on a hospital. In Canada, there are over 170,000 nonprofits, employing 2.9 million people.
Learn more about the campaign, including ways to take action.
Event: Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy Summit (November 14)
Registration is now open for November’s TSNS Summit, hosted by The City of Toronto. Community leaders and members are invited to attend to provide feedback on the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategies, connect with community-led groups and City staff, participate in workshops, and enjoy food, entertainment, activities, takeaways, and more.
The Summit will take place Saturday, November 14th, 2025 at Metro Hall ( 55 John St) from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Registration closes on October 30. Learn more and register.