The following dates have been announced for the Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park by-election:

  • Nominations will open Monday, June 23 at 8:30 a.m.
  • Nominations will close Friday, August 15 at 2 p.m.
  • Advance voting will be available on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Election day will be held on Monday, September 29 with voting places open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You can vote in the Councillor Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park by-election, if you are:

  • a Canadian citizen; and
  • at least 18 years old; and
  • a resident in Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park; or
  • a non-resident of the city of Toronto, but you or your spouse own or rent property in Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park; and
  • not prohibited from voting under any law.

You may only vote once regardless of how many properties you own or rent within the city.

A resident of Toronto must vote in the ward where they live, not the ward(s) where they own or rent additional property.

To vote in Toronto, you are required to show identification with your name and Toronto (Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park) address.

 

Who cannot vote:

Note: Under section 65 (4) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996: A person is not eligible to vote in a by-election for an office if the person could not vote for that office if a regular election was held on the day of the by-election.

You are prohibited from voting on voting day if you are:

  • serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution
  • a corporation
  • acting as executor or trustee or in another representative capacity, except as a voting proxy
  • convicted of a corrupt practice described in section 90(3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996

If you are unsure about eligibility, call 311 for more information.


Information for students

Students living in Toronto for school

  • If you are a student living away from “home” to attend an educational institution in Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park and consider your “home” to be the place where you live when you are not attending school, which means you plan on returning there, then you are eligible to vote in elections and by-elections both in your “home” municipality and in the municipality where you currently live to attend school.
  • If your home and school residence are both in Toronto, vote in the ward where your “home” is located not where your school residence is located.
  • If you’re not on the voters’ list, you can add yourself at the voting place by showing identification with your name and Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park address. Your Ward 25 address is considered to be your current Toronto residence.

Students living away from Toronto for school

  • If you are a Toronto resident of Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park, but are studying in another Ontario municipality, you are eligible to vote in this by-election.
  • Bring identification with your name and qualifying Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park address to the voting place.
  • You may opt to appoint another elector as Proxy to vote on your behalf in Toronto. Learn more about Proxy voting under the Voting Options & Dates section.

 

Voters Experiencing Homelessness
Eligible voters who do not have a permanent address, but live in Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park can vote in the by-election.

If you need information about how to vote or are experiencing a barrier to voting, email elections@toronto.ca or call 311.

In-Person Voting

There are three days of in-person voting:

In-Person Voting Date Time
Advance Vote Saturday, September 20, 2025 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Advance Vote Sunday, September 21, 2025 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election Day Monday, September 29, 2025 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

You may only vote once in the Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park by-election regardless of how many properties you own or rent.

On election day (September 29), eligible voters must vote at their assigned voting place.

During advance voting (September 20 and 21), eligible voters can choose to vote at one of the two available voting places:

  • Locations still to be determined.


Mail-in Voting

Eligible voters will be able to choose to vote by mail as an alternative to in-person voting for the Councillor Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park by-election, provided Canada Post services are available and operating normally, the first day to apply for Mail-in Voting, is Monday, August 18.

 

Vote by Proxy

If you are not able to vote in person or by mail, you may appoint a voting proxy. A proxy is someone who you trust to vote on your behalf and is an eligible voter in the city of Toronto.

Monday, August 18, is the first day to request a Proxy form and make an appointment to have it certified by emailing VoterRegistration@toronto.ca.

Complete a Voting Proxy Appointment Form, signed by you and your proxy, and have it certified by the City Clerk before 4:30 p.m. on September 29:

  • At the Toronto Elections office at Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, first floor Permit Alley

Or

  • By appointment only at the Toronto Elections office, 89 Northline Road. To make an appointment email VoterRegistration@toronto.ca or call 311

 

Proxy forms can also be certified during advance voting (Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21) at either voting place:

  • Locations still to be determined.

To receive a Voting Proxy Appointment form, email Toronto Elections at VoterRegistration@toronto.ca or visit the Toronto Elections office at Toronto City Hall during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) from Monday to Friday. You must present identification for both yourself and your appointed proxy at the time of certification.

Note:

  • A voting proxy can only vote on behalf of one person unless they are voting on behalf of a relative. Relatives are spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren. A voting proxy can vote on behalf of more than one relative.
  • A person acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity is still required to get a certified Voting Proxy Appointment Form.

For more information, review section 44 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (opens in new window).

 

Taking Time off to Vote

Voting hours on election day are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You are entitled to three hours in which to vote on voting day. This does not mean you can take three hours off work. It means you’re allowed to be absent to give yourself three hours of voting time.

Typically this is at the start or end of your working hours. For example, if your working hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., you are entitled to leave one hour early so that you would have from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to vote.

Your employer may decide when it would be most convenient for you to be absent in order to vote. For example, if you work from noon to 6 p.m. your employer may decide that you should come in at 1 p.m., rather than leave work at 5 p.m.


If you have questions about any of the voting options, email elections@toronto.ca or call 311.

Get on the Voters’ List for the Ward 25 By-election

Starting August 18, it’s important to check if your information on the Voters’ List is correct, especially if you’ve moved recently or changed your name. If you’re on the Voters’ List by September 4, a Voter Information Card will be mailed to you, or you can use MyVote to view, download or print your Voter Information Card.

If you add, update or change your information on the Voters’ List after September 4, you can access your digital Voter Information Card on MyVote.

Add or update your information on the Voters’ List until 7 p.m. on September 21 by:

  • Visiting toronto.ca/MyVote (MyVote launches on August 18)
  • Emailing VoterRegistration@toronto.ca
  • Calling 311

You can also add yourself to the Voters’ List when you vote in person during advance vote (September 20 and 21) or on election day (September 29). You must show ID when you vote, even if you are on the Voters’ List. You must meet eligibility requirements and show ID when you vote, even if you are on the voters’ list.

Learn more about the Voters’ List.

 

When you go to vote you need to take one piece of identification (ID) showing your name and qualifying Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park address.

  • A Voter Information Card cannot be used as ID
  • A passport cannot be used as ID, because it does not verify a person’s address.

Electronic ID

  • A document issued electronically, a hard copy or online version shown on a mobile device IS acceptable as ID (for example an e-statement)
  • A document not issued electronically, a photocopy or scanned version IS NOT acceptable as ID (for example a photocopy of your driver’s license)

Examples of Acceptable ID

  • Ontario issued photo card, driver’s licence or motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion).
  • Cancelled personalized cheque, credit card or bank account statement.
  • Utility bill for hydro, telephone or cable TV, water, gas or a bill from a public utilities commission.
  • Cheque stub, T4 statement or pay receipt issued by an employer.
  • Statement of direct deposit for Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program.
  • Property tax assessment, income tax assessment notice, Child Tax Benefit statement.
  • Mortgage statement, lease or rental agreement.
  • Transcript or report card from a post-secondary school.
  • Document showing campus residence, issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution.
  • Any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or a document issued or certified by a court in Ontario.
  • Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada).
  • Insurance policy or insurance statement.
  • Loan agreement or other financial agreement with a financial institution.
  • Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid T4E.
  • Statement of Old Age Security T4A (OAS), Canada Pension Plan Benefits T4A (P), Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions.
  • Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits T5007.
  • CNIB card or a card from another registered charitable organization that provides services to persons with disabilities.
  • Document showing residence at a long-term care home under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, issued by the Administrator for the home.

 

Learn more about Ontario regulation 304/13 for voter identification under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 as amended.

Printable list of ID

 

Please contact Toronto Elections if you have accessibility questions or concerns by email at elections@toronto.ca or by calling 416-338-1111.


Curbside Voting

If you are physically unable to go inside the voting place, you can request to have your ballot brought to your vehicle, outside of the building or to another area within the voting place. Where a voting place is situated in a multi-residential building, the boundaries do not include any residences on the property.

A friend or support person will need to go inside the voting place to let the election officials know that you require curbside voting.


Personal Assistance to Voters

If you require assistance at the voting place you may bring a friend along to help or you may ask an election official for assistance. Your friend may go behind the voting screen with you, however they must make a declaration first.

 

Accessible Voting Equipment

The Voter Assist Terminal (VAT) is a ballot-marking device that allows voters with disabilities to mark their ballot privately and independently. The features include a touch screen, an audio function, a braille key pad, a sip/puff tube device, a rocker paddle/foot switch and zoom features to adjust font sizes and colour contrast. Voter Assist Terminals will be available at two designated voting places during advance vote and on election day.


Audio and Visual Description of the VAT Features
Voter Assist Terminal information


Ballot Transfer

If you require the use of a Voter Assist Terminal (VAT) and one is not located at your designated voting place on voting day, you can request to have your ballot transferred to the VAT location.

A ballot transfer can also be requested in circumstances where an eligible voter might encounter a barrier at their designated voting location.

Requests should be made as soon as possible to ensure sufficient time for processing by contacting 311 for a Ballot Transfer Request form.

Once approved, the elector will receive a Ballot Transfer Notice form by mail or email.

The elector must bring the Ballot Transfer Notice with them to the newly assigned voting place.


Braille How to Vote Booklets

How to Vote booklets are available in braille at each voting location to assist with declarations, required identification, how to mark your ballot and what to expect in the voting place.

If you require assistance in another language:

  • You can translate any web page at any time by selecting the Translate button at the top of each page, this will allow you to select any language offered by Google Translate.
  • If you require assistance in a language that is not available, please call 311 to request over-the-phone interpretation in more than 180 languages.
  • Voting location staff will be wearing tags that show the different languages they speak.
  • You may ask anyone who is not a candidate or a scrutineer to act as an interpreter for you. They must complete an oral declaration that they will faithfully translate any communication between you and the election officials. Interpreters may not go behind the voting screen with you or assist you in voting.
  • Translated “How to Vote booklets” are available in the voting location to assist with declarations, required identification, how to mark your ballot and what to expect in the voting place.

Languages translated are based on the Use of Languages By-law #1176-2009