Ottawa voters elect mayor and council in municipal election

OTTAWA · Ottawa residents are heading to the polls on Monday, Oct. 26, to elect a mayor, city councillors and school board trustees for a four-year term. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with voters required to cast ballots at their assigned ward location. The election features 14 mayoral candidates and contested races in 22 of the city's wards. Two councillors, Riley Brockington in River Ward and David Brown in Rideau-Jock Ward, were acclaimed after facing no opponents.

Advance voting saw strong participation, with 89,550 ballots cast before Election Day. That total includes 27,553 votes during a special advance period from Oct. 1 to 4 and 59,039 on the regular advance voting day on Oct. 16. The city also received 2,957 mail-in ballots by the deadline. The early turnout represents an increase from the 2022 municipal election, when 79,491 residents voted ahead of Election Day. Bay Ward recorded the highest participation during the Oct. 16 advance vote, with 4,215 ballots cast.

The mayoral race has largely focused on incumbent Mark Sutcliffe, Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, economist Neil Saravanamuttoo and homebuilder Alex Lawson. A Quorus Consulting survey released Oct. 19 found Sutcliffe had 28 per cent support among all respondents, compared with 24 per cent for Leiper, seven per cent for Saravanamuttoo and four per cent for Lawson. Among respondents who named a candidate, Sutcliffe received approximately 42 per cent support, compared with 35 per cent for Leiper. An earlier Nanos Research survey for CTV Ottawa found Sutcliffe with 53 per cent support among decided voters, followed by Leiper at 31 per cent.

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City clerk Caitlin Salter-MacDonald said the elections office is prepared for a busy day. "We do feel ready," said Salter-MacDonald. "We have our team at the elections office available throughout the day to answer any questions that folks might have, and our teams [are] out in the voting places ready to serve electors." All voting places are fully accessible, with tools like large print ballots, magnifying sheets and accessible vote tabulators available.

Voters must bring one piece of identification showing their name and a qualifying Ottawa address. A voter notification letter can help speed up the process but is not mandatory. Residents who did not receive a letter can check if they are registered using the city's online tool, by calling 613-580-2660 or by emailing [email protected]. Those not on the list can complete an application at their polling station. Residents unable to get to their voting place can appoint a proxy to cast a vote until 6 p.m.

Several key ward races are underway. In Kitchissippi Ward, voters will elect a new councillor for the first time in 12 years after three-term representative Jeff Leiper decided to run for mayor. The ward encompasses neighbourhoods including Westboro, Hintonburg and Wellington Village. In Bay Ward, incumbent Theresa Kavanagh is seeking a third term against challengers Spencer Radford and Butch Moore. The ward includes communities like Britannia, Bayshore and Crystal Beach, where flooding, infrastructure and affordable housing have been prominent issues.

Unofficial results will begin appearing on the city's election website shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. The city anticipates most unofficial results will be available within approximately two and a half hours, though the timeline could vary. The newly elected council will serve from Nov. 15, 2026, until Nov. 14, 2030. In the last municipal election in 2022, Ottawa recorded an overall voter turnout of 43.79 per cent. Your Space Hamilton reported last week that Ottawa voters see housing affordability as a key election issue.

With files from Kitchissippi Times and CBC News