{
  "id": 2371886,
  "title": "Nominations to run in Ontario’s fall municipal elections set to close",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/nominations-to-run-in-ontarios-fall-municipal-elections-set-to-close",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T12:00:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news-globalnews",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12029886/nominations-to-run-in-ontarios-fall-municipal-elections-set-to-close/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Municipal election nominations for Ontario's Oct. 26 vote are set to close by 2 p.m., as Ontarians prepare to see a clearer picture of the choices they will face at the ballot box. Would-be candidates, including mayoral hopefuls in Toronto and Mississauga, have registered to run in their respective wards. Former Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith is among those vying for the east-end Toronto ward of Beaches—East York.\n\nConcerns have been raised over the number of seats with only one candidate or no candidates at all as the deadline approaches. Zachary Spicer, an associate professor of public policy at York University, notes that a competitive mayoral race can increase voter turnout in municipal elections, which typically have lower turnout rates compared to provincial or federal elections.\n\nHowever, a mayoral race with a strong incumbent and limited challengers may have a \"reverberating effect\" on council campaigns, leading to lower voter participation. Mississauga, which has experienced increased competition for the mayor's position in recent years, is of particular interest, as is Hamilton, where incumbent mayor Andrea Horwath faces significant challenges.\n\nGuelph is another city where new faces may enter the race, as the three-term mayor Cam Guthrie steps down, opening the top job to fresh candidates. In Toronto, the competition is fierce, with veteran politicians like former federal Conservative minister Chris Alexander and current council member Brad Bradford seeking to unseat mayor Olivia Chow. A recent Ipsos poll of 800 adult Torontonians reveals that residents want the city to make decisions more quickly, be open to new ideas, and invest more in infrastructure. The top economic concerns listed by respondents were the cost of living, housing affordability, and traffic congestion, with public transit improvements ranked fourth. It is important to note that online surveys like this one cannot be assigned a margin of error, as they do not randomly sample the population.",
  "summary": "A clearer picture of the choices Ontarians will face at the ballot box is set to emerge Friday afternoon as nominations for the fall municipal elections come to a close.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nominations for Ontario's Oct. 26 municipal elections close at 2 p.m.",
    "Mayoral hopefuls in Toronto and Mississauga register to run.",
    "Concerns over low candidate numbers in some wards."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Nominations to run in Ontario’s fall municipal elections set to close",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/nominations-to-run-in-ontarios-fall-municipal-elections-set-to-close-2377258",
        "published": "2026-08-21T12:00:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}