Advance voting opens in Toronto as mayoral hopefuls enter campaign’s final stretch

From left: Toronto mayoral candidates Josh Matlow, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter, Brad Bradford, Mark Saunders and Ana Bailao take the stage at a mayoral debate in Scarborough, Ont. on May 24.Chris Young/The Canadian Press

Advance voting in Toronto’s mayoral contest opened Thursday, inaugurating the final stretch of the campaign with just over two weeks left before election day.

The 50 advance voting locations across the city are open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until June 13.

The by-election to replace former mayor John Tory, who resigned in February after admitting to having an affair with a staffer, has garnered a record 102 candidates.

Former NDP parliamentarian and longtime progressive city councillor Olivia Chow holds a lead in the polls as more than a half-dozen high-profile candidates, including former police chief Mark Saunders and city councillor Josh Matlow, jockey for position.

Eligible voters can cast a ballot at any of the advance voting locations but must vote at their designated location on election day, which is June 26.

In response to the vandalism of a mail-in voting drop box earlier this week, Toronto Elections says it is in the process of relocating those boxes to indoor sites across the city.