Ontario election 2025: Ford vows to fight tariffs, says Trump can’t break ‘the Canadian spirit’ in victory speech

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Q+A: Have questions about the Ontario election? Ask our reporters

– Globe staff

On Friday at noon ET, Queen’s Park reporter Laura Stone and columnist Robyn Urback will be answering reader questions about the Ontario election, the race leading up to it and what we can learn from the results. Stone has been reporting on Doug Ford’s war against U.S. tariffs and what we can learn from the election debates, while Urback has suggested the PC Leader might have some ulterior motives for calling such an early election.

What does the result mean for Ontario and the rest of Canada? What issues decided the election? With the U.S. President threatening to proceed with tariffs as early as next week, has the election left Ontario any better prepared to weather that storm? Submit your questions now and tune back in on Friday to read our responses.

Q+A: What do you want to know about the Ontario election? Submit your questions now

11:55 p.m.

45% voter turnout rate on par with record low last election: early results

– Jill Mahoney

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Most eligible Ontario voters did not cast ballots in Thursday’s snap provincial election, according to preliminary results.

Voter turnout was about 45 per cent as of 11 p.m., according to Elections Ontario.

“I think it’s a sign that people were not motivated by the candidates,” said John Beebe, founder of the Democratic Engagement Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Turnout was around the same as the last Ontario election in 2022, when 44 per cent of voters turned up at polling booths – a record low for the province.

Read more: Turnout in Ontario election on par with last vote, early results show

11:48 p.m.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles disappointed by results, but takes aim at Trump

– Tom Cardoso

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Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles told supporters the election results weren’t what the party had hoped for.

“They re-elected the government, hoping it will help protect them from Donald Trump and his tariffs, and they’ve entrusted me and my team to do a different, but also very important job,” she said.

“Our job is to hold this government to account,” she continued.

Much of Ms. Stiles’s speech was directed not at Mr. Ford, but at the United States.

“In Canada, free, fair, peaceful elections is what we do,” she said as she drew to a close. “It is a big piece of why we are going to keep our country.”

“You got that, Donald?”

11:14 p.m.

Doug Ford says Trump can’t break ‘the Canadian spirit’

– Laura Stone

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Late Thursday, Doug Ford took the stage, introduced by a video with montages of Donald Trump and the PCs’ campaign song about protecting Ontario. He vowed to work with politicians of all stripes to stand up to Mr. Trump. “Donald Trump thinks he can break us. … He is underestimating the resilience of the Canadian people, the Canadian spirit,” Mr. Ford said.

“Make no mistake: Canada won’t start a fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win one.”

11:04 p.m.

Three early takeaways from the election

– Samantha Edwards

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The Progressive Conservatives will remain in power but early results show that they failed to flip several NDP seats in the Peel region. Read more about this and and other early takeaways from tonight’s results so far.

10:56 p.m.

Watch: NDP Leader Marit Stiles speaks to supporters

10:50 p.m.

Doug Ford doubles down on Highway 401 expansion pledge in victory speech

– Marcus Gee

Doug Ford, in his victory speech, just repeated his pledge to “tunnel the 401” — that is, to dig under the highway to create more traffic lanes. Experts have said it would cost many billions of dollars, if it is feasible at all. But according to Mr. Ford, the people said yes to the plan.

10:40 p.m.

Watch: Doug Ford gives victory speech

10:31 p.m.

Bonnie Crombie vows to stay on as Liberal leader after failing to win seat

- Joe Friesen

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Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said that although tonight’s result was not the one her supporters were hoping for, her party had proved it was back from the dead.

Ms. Crombie seized on the positives and pledged to stay on as Liberal Leader, pointing to the restoration of official party status and an increase in the popular-vote share to roughly 30 per cent.

Despite losing her own seat in Mississauga East-Cooksville, Ms. Crombie said she was committed to holding Premier Doug Ford accountable in opposition.

“This is a building block for us,” Ms. Crombie said. “I commit to you today that I will stay on.”

Read more: Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie fails to win seat

10:22 p.m.

Opinion: Not the crushing victory Ford hoped for

– Marcus Gee

Doug Ford just said it was “quite a feat” to win a third majority government. True, but not the crushing majority he must have been hoping for when he called a snap winter election. It looks as if he will win about the same number of seats as last time, after having spent $189-million to hold the vote.

Read more: Doug Ford’s Ontario election win puts him in a class of his own

10:18 p.m.

Watch: Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie speaks after being projected to lose her seat

- Joe Friesen

With Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie projected to lose her riding of Mississauga East-Cooksville, one of the questions she will face is whether to stay on as party leader without a seat at Queen’s Park.

At the Liberal election-night party in Mississauga, supporters pointed to an improved popular-vote share and an increase in the seat count as a sign that Ms. Crombie had the support of many Ontarians.

Stephen Cogan, a long-time Liberal and campaign volunteer, said he hopes Ms. Crombie will decide to stay on. “I want to see her become premier next time,” Mr. Cogan said. “If she doesn’t win a seat I hope she can win a by-election.”

10:05 p.m.

Green leader Mike Schreiner congratulates supporters on holding ‘Doug Ford’s feet to the fire’

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner thanked candidates and loyalists for their work on the campaign trail, celebrating his party’s result of holding its two seats.

“Together we held Doug Ford’s feet to the fire,” he said.

Mr. Schreiner congratulated Mr. Ford, but said he would work across party lines to fight for progressive values.

10 p.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulates Doug Ford on re-election

- The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is congratulating Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives on their projected re-election as the results of Ontario’s snap vote continue to roll in.

Mr. Trudeau says in a statement that everyone must work together to defend Canadian interests, protect workers and businesses and grow the economy at this crucial time.

The threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods has been a running theme over the course of the 28-day campaign.

9:56 p.m.

Ford campaign gives out ‘Canada is not for sale’ hats

– Laura Stone

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Doug Ford’s campaign is handing out “Canada is not for sale” hats to partygoers, including Brian Fraser, a friend of the Ford family for more than 30 years. His sister was in Mr. Ford’s class in Grade 5, and his son went to school with Mr. Ford’s nephew, former cabinet minister Michael Ford, who didn’t run in this campaign.

9:50 p.m.

Ontario NDP director says party ‘feeling good’ about leader Marit Stiles’s future

– Tom Cardoso

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Boos and groans erupted at the NDP’s election party as news outlets projected a PC majority just minutes after polls closed. At dissolution, the NDP held 28 seats and was the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park; as of 9:30 p.m., the party seemed headed for a similar seat count.

Ontario NDP provincial director Kevin Beaulieu said this election was leader Marit Stiles’s debut, and that the party was “feeling good” about her future.

“It sometimes takes an election to introduce a new leader, to break through and introduce a leader to voters,” he said. “The connection was so strong, we saw it everywhere she went. Her message resonated. She connected with people.”

“We pulled together a really great campaign – in the middle of winter,” Mr. Beaulieu said.

9:42 p.m.

Liberal supporters quiet as party trails in early results

– Joe Friesen

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A crowd of a few dozen Liberal supporters at the party’s election-night headquarters watched quietly as the CBC projected a PC majority not long after polls closed. Many stood with arms folded in front of the screen but did not seem surprised by the result. There were moments of applause for candidates who were faring well in individual seats.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is expected to speak later tonight. She watched the results come in surrounded by her two sons and campaign staff in a room away from the main hall. Ms. Crombie was trailing early in the evening in her own riding of Mississauga East-Cooksville to PC candidate Silvia Gualtieri.

9:39 p.m.

Subdued celebrations at PC election night party

– Laura Stone

The crowd at Doug Ford’s victory party was sparse when a PC majority was called, with a smattering of applause from the crowd. Cheers grew louder when polls showed Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie behind in her own riding.

The mood is fairly subdued at the Ford campaign, even as another majority is called. With the room barely half full, there is a smattering of applause and cheers as individual ridings are called, but mostly people are just talking amongst themselves.

9:27 p.m.

Opinion: Say what you want about Doug Ford

– Marcus Gee

Say what you want about Doug Ford, what he has done is impressive – winning a third straight majority in the provincial legislature, the first time that has happened in Ontario since the 1950s. CBC and CTV have both called it for him, just minutes after polls closed.

9:18 p.m.

Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives projected to form third majority government

– Jeff Gray and Laura Stone

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford was set to win a third majority government in an election he called more than a year early to mount a campaign that focused on his vows to fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs.

Early returns suggested Mr. Ford was on track to form government, with his PC Party leading or declared elected in more than 70 seats across the province. At dissolution, the PCs had held 79 of the Ontario Legislature’s 124 seats.

Marit Stiles, who heads the NDP, was on track to lead her party to win more than 20 seats. The party held 28 seats when the legislature was dissolved.

The Liberals, under Leader Bonnie Crombie, the former mayor of Mississauga, were leading or elected in 15 seats in early results. The Green Party, led by Mike Schreiner, had two seats when the election was called, was leading or elected in 2 seats.

Read more: Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives projected to form third majority government

9 p.m.

Most polls close across Ontario

– Samantha Edwards

All but a small number of Ontario polling stations have closed as scheduled at 9 p.m. ET. Elections Ontario said nine polling stations in seven electoral districts, including in Toronto, near Ottawa and in Northern Ontario, have been extended. The results for these districts will not be released until all their polls have closed.

• Humber River Black Creek – Poll 029 – Poll will close at 10:30 p.m.
• Humber River Black Creek – Poll 030 – Poll will close at 10:30 p.m.
• Parkdale High Park – Poll 415 – Poll will close at 9:30 p.m.
• Spadina – Fort York – Poll 005 - Poll will close at 9:30 p.m.
• Spadina – Fort York – Poll 458 - Poll will close at 10:00 p.m.
• York Centre – Poll 424 - Poll will close at 10:00 p.m.
• York Centre – Poll 424 - Poll will close at 10:00 p.m.
• Orléans - Poll 712 – Poll will close at 11 p.m.
• King—Vaughan – Poll 404 – Poll will close at 11 p.m.
• Algoma—Manitoulin – Poll 041 – Poll will close at 9:30 p.m.

8:41 p.m.

Liberals have made race ‘Bonnie versus Doug,’ says spokesperson

– Joe Friesen

The big red room at Liberal election-night headquarters was largely empty early Thursday evening as campaign staff worked in local ridings ensuring that supporters get to the polls.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is expected to arrive at Mississauga Convention Centre before 9 p.m. and plans to watch the results with her two sons and campaign staff in a room away from the main hall.

Taylor Deasley, a Liberal campaign spokeswoman, said the party has gained momentum throughout the campaign, adding, “We’ve defined this race as Bonnie versus Doug.”

She said the party hopes for gains in the Greater Toronto Area, particularly Mississauga, and in the Ottawa area, but expects to see a rise in its fortunes across the province. She also said this is not what she called a “save-the-furniture campaign.”

“This is about flipping seats and persuading people who may not have voted Liberal in the past,” Ms. Deasley said.

8:10 p.m.

NDP’s Toronto election party anticipating results

- Tom Cardoso

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Things are still quiet at the NDP’s election-night party in downtown Toronto. Jared Walker, a former Ontario NDP speechwriter now with the Broadbent Institute, said tonight is all about using the party’s incumbents as a “beachhead” to pick up nearby Tory seats. “We’re really excited to have folks out on the ground, trying to pull those votes right now, and we’ll see how it works,” he says.

8:00 p.m.

PC Party president says they’re ‘optimistic’ for good results

- Laura Stone

Michael Diamond, president of the PC Party, told The Globe the campaign went “really well” and that Doug Ford had a “very clear message” throughout. He also said he was proud that the PCs ran a full slate of 124 candidates, unlike the NDP or Liberals. “We’re very optimistic for a very good night,” he said as the election party got under way.

“Premier Ford was very clear why he needed a mandate from the people to fight turbulent economic times,” Mr. Diamond said. He wouldn’t, however, say how many seats the party was hoping to gain Thursday.

7:30 p.m.

When will we know the results?

- Evan Annett

After the polls have closed at 9 p.m. ET, you’ll start to see Elections Ontario’s early results come in. News media watch the results carefully and do the math, calling the outcome only when all other scenarios can be ruled out. You can find The Globe’s final call on our website and alerts from our mobile app. A decisive result could take hours, but Ontario races are usually confirmed before the next morning. Days-long nail-biters such as last year’s B.C. election are rare in any province.

To form a majority government, a party needs at least 63 seats. At dissolution, the PCs had 79, the NDP 28, the Liberals nine and the Greens two. Minority governments – in which the largest party holds less than half the legislature and needs support from other parties to govern – are less rare in Ontario than the rest of Canada but still uncommon; the last one was under Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals from 2011 to 2014.

6:37 p.m.

Doug Ford’s election night party set to begin in Etobicoke

- Laura Stone

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The media have arrived at Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford’s election night party in Etobicoke, with supporters expected to start streaming in after 7 pm. On the stage is the party’s familiar campaign slogan, “Protect Ontario,” with blue and white balloons looking ready to drop. The PCs are hoping for a third, even bigger majority tonight after calling the election almost a year-and-a-half ahead of schedule.

5:44 p.m.

What happened during the 2022 Ontario election?

- Globe staff

During the last Ontario election, in 2022, Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives easily won a second majority government, with both the NDP and Liberal leaders resigning as a result. The Tories won 83 seats with 41 per cent of the popular vote.

It was a devastating night for the Liberal Party, which won eight seats, just one more than the seven it won in its near-wipeout in 2018. Meanwhile, the NDP saw its 2018 seat count of 40 reduced to 31.

Here’s a look at the ridings that won by the smallest margins in the last election.

Read more here: A throwback to Ontario’s election night in 2022

4 p.m.

Where do the parties stand on health care?

– Evan Annett

The crisis in family medicine is not unique to Ontario, and its roots predate the Ford government. But as voters heads to the polls, the problem is forecast to get worse. There are 2.5 million Ontarians without family doctors, and that could reach 4.4 million by next year, the Ontario Medical Association says. Hospitals, where emergency rooms are not meant to keep patients waiting more than eight hours, are mostly unable to meet that target, and have not come back to the 25-per-cent success rate of pre-pandemic times.

• PCs: Open two new medical schools in Toronto; expand undergraduate medical spots and residency spots by 40 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, by 2028; allow health workers registered in other provinces to start work in Ontario with less paperwork; implement the primary-care action plan led by Jane Philpott, a former federal health minister hired last fall to explore new models of team-based care.
• NDP: Invest $4.1-billion over four years in team-based primary care; add 3,500 primary-care physicians; centralize medical referrals; introduce universal mental health care; expand OHIP to prescription contraceptives, HPV vaccines and take-home cervical cancer tests.
• Liberals: Recruit 3,100 family doctors by 2029; create two new medical schools; centralize medical referrals; phase out fax machines; introduce universal mental health care; ban private nurse-practitioner clinics.
• Greens: Recruit 3,500 more doctors through expanded med-school spots; introduce electronic prescriptions; expand and fund more family health teams; cover mental health and addiction care through OHIP.

Read more here: An overview of each party’s platform in the Ontario election

3:45 p.m.

Where do the parties stand on jobs and cost of living?

– Evan Annett

The usual campaign questions about employment, wages and personal finance are hard to separate from the trade feud, which could erase thousands of jobs if all of Mr. Trump’s proposed tariffs are enacted. Stimulus programs carry their own inflationary risks, as Canadians learned during the pandemic, so supporting employers will be a careful balancing act for the next government.

• PCs: Give employers and small businesses up to $3-billion in tax and payroll relief; defer business taxes for six months; add $1-billion to a skilled-trades development fund; permanently cut gas taxes; lower the minimum retail price for alcoholic beverages.
• NDP: Negotiate with Ottawa to expand EI for Ontario workers; remove provincial income tax on supports for workers who lose their jobs due to tariffs; no income-tax increases for people earning less than $220,000.
• Liberals: Permanent income-tax cuts; use a Fight Tariffs Fund to give Ontario businesses lower-than-market interest rates; use tax credits to create 40,000 new paid co-op, internship and apprenticeship jobs.
• Greens: Tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners; stimulate job growth with green-economy and infrastructure projects; enact stricter anti-price-gouging laws for grocers; raise minimum wage to $20 and index it to inflation.

Read more here: An overview of each party’s platform in the Ontario election

3:25 p.m.

Where do the parties stand on housing?

– Evan Annett

Seven years of upheaval in housing policy has not done much to improve Ontario’s real-estate crunch. In 2021, Mr. Ford promised 150,000 new housing starts each year until 2031; but every year since, the number of new housing starts has gone down. Opposition parties, hammering him on that record, are making a case that they can better manage the housing file.

• PCs: The PC platform has no dedicated section on housing, but it does mention $50-million for “more factory-built homes and innovative home-building technology.” A section on parks and public spaces reiterates past pledges to clear homeless encampments.
• NDP: Set up a “Homes Ontario” program to build, acquire and repair at least 300,000 affordable homes; reassert provincial control over housing and homelessness policies devolved to cities; apply rent control to the rental itself, not just the tenancy; protect the Greenbelt within pre-2022 urban boundaries.
• Liberals: Eliminate land-transfer taxes for first-time homebuyers, downsizing seniors and non-profit builders; introduce “fair, phased-in rent control” and a bank to give interest-free loans to tenants in financial emergencies.
• Greens: Build two million homes in 10 years; overhaul building codes; expand the Greenbelt and set up a Bluebelt of protected waterways; reinstate rent control on all units; combat speculation with a multiple-property speculation tax, a provincewide vacant homes tax and an anti-flipping tax.

Read more here: An overview of each party’s platform in the Ontario election

3:10 p.m.

Where do the parties stand on tariffs and trade?

– Evan Annett

Ontario sells and buys more goods internationally than any other province, and the United States accounts for more than 85 per cent of its exports. U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs will make it more costly for Americans to buy Ontario’s metals – but before that, wider trade restrictions could be even more painful for other industries.

Every Ontario party proposes to limit the damage with some form of buy-local strategy and lifting limits on interprovincial trade.

• PCs: Pledging to spend $40-billion on tariff measures, including a $5-billion Protect Ontario Account to guard against tariff uncertainty; prioritize Ontario steel, lumber and other products in government procurement; speed up highway and transit construction; recognize out-of-province standards and certifications in key sectors; remove all of Ontario’s party-specific exemptions under the free-trade program CAFTA.
• NDP: Launch a tariff emergency fund to support businesses; prioritize Canadian goods in government procurement, and Ontario goods in public infrastructure; “strengthen and diversify Ontario’s trade relationships.”
• Liberals: Exclude U.S. companies from provincial procurement; speed up infrastructure projects; “eliminate nonsensical interprovincial trade barriers” by recognizing skills and regulated work from the rest of Canada.
• Greens: Buy Ontario procurement strategy; “aggressively diversify our trade partners”; remove interprovincial trade barriers; set up an Ontario Foodbelt, create local food hubs and give tax incentives to agriculture so Ontario food supply chains are more self-reliant.

Read more here: An overview of each party’s platform in the Ontario election

2:45 p.m.

Ontario’s party leaders make final pitches to voters

2:30 p.m.

Can you vote anywhere on election day?

– Globe staff

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The Globe called Elections Ontario to inquire if residents can vote anywhere in the province on election day. The representative said you must vote at your designated polling station, which is based on your postal code. Prior to election day, residents could have registered to vote by mail, filled out a ballot at an advance voting station or arranged to vote by home visit.

2:15 p.m.

Ridings to watch in the Ontario election

– The Canadian Press

While the polls have consistently had the Progressive Conservatives cruising to re-election, there are various ridings across the province in which the results may come down to the wire or have broader implications. Here are a few ridings to watch on election night:

Mississauga East-Cooksville

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, the former mayor of Mississauga, took her time in choosing which of the six Mississauga ridings to run in, and she landed on this one. This riding is the only one in Mississauga without a Progressive Conservative incumbent and the Tories’ choice of candidate is an interesting one. Silvia Gualtieri is the mother-in-law of Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton and former leader of the PC Party. Mississauga ridings tend to flip between the PCs and Liberals, often voting for the winning party, but Crombie’s party is hoping her name recognition will help them recapture some seats there.

Windsor West

The Progressive Conservatives have been making an aggressive push for the votes of blue-collar workers and tradespeople in recent years and they see Windsor, with a long history of auto and parts manufacturing, as an extension of that. The party took the other two Windsor-area ridings from the NDP in the last election and are hoping to make it a trifecta this time. Leader Doug Ford launched his campaign here and the border city has a keen interest in U.S. relations, which Ford has made a hallmark of his campaign. Lisa Gretzky has held the seat for the NDP since 2014, but her margin of victory narrowed from 2018 to 2022. The candidate the Liberals nominated for this riding withdrew at the last minute.

Toronto-St. Paul’s

This riding was once thought of as a Liberal stronghold, but NDP took it in the great Liberal defeat of 2018. A star Liberal candidate came close in 2022, and the party has another prominent candidate this time around in former CP24 anchor Stephanie Smyth. If the Liberals are to pick up seats this election, this is one of the possibilities.

Hamilton Centre

The riding should be the NDP’s for the taking, but there is a wild card: Sarah Jama. Former NDP leader Andrea Horwath held the riding for many years, with massive margins in elections, but she resigned in 2022. Jama won the seat handily in a 2023 byelection, but was kicked out of the NDP caucus less than a year later and has sat as an independent since then. Jama’s ouster came after a series of events that began with a statement on the Israel-Hamas war that failed to mention the attack on Israeli civilians, though the decision was ultimately made after a series of moves from Jama that either publicly defied the party leader or caught her unaware. Jama is running as an independent in this election and has a dedicated and vocal group of supporters, giving her the potential to eat into NDP support.

Read more here: Ten ridings to watch during the Ontario election

1:45 p.m.

Do you have questions about the Ontario election?

– Globe staff

On the day after the election – Friday at noon ET – Queen’s Park reporter Laura Stone and columnist Robyn Urback will be answering reader questions about the Ontario election, the race leading up to the vote and what we can learn from the results. Stone has been reporting on Doug Ford’s war against U.S. tariffs and what we can learn from the election debates, while Urback has suggested Ford might have some ulterior motives to calling such an early election.

Globe and Mail subscribers can ask a question or leave a comment, but registered nonsubscribers can still view the questions and responses.

Submit questions by scrolling to the bottom of this link or in the box below.

1 p.m.

What to know about Ontario’s major party leaders

– Evan Annett

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Doug Ford

As the son of an MPP and brother of Toronto’s late mayor, Doug Ford was no stranger to politics when he took over the Progressive Conservatives in 2018. He has won two straight majorities and kept his polling numbers high, despite controversy over a Greenbelt land-development scheme (which the RCMP are still investigating), relocating the Ontario Science Centre, the cost of speeding up alcohol sales in corner stores and other policies.

Marit Stiles

Marit Stiles, a Newfoundlander, got into politics during her studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, then worked as an NDP MP’s assistant and later a school trustee. When the Ontario NDP surged to Official Opposition status in 2018, she became education critic, then took the leadership in an uncontested race in 2023 after Andrea Horwath stepped down.

Bonnie Crombie

A former mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Crombie took the reins of a much-diminished Ontario Liberal Party in 2023, which had not escaped third-party status since 2018’s rout of the Kathleen Wynne government.

Mike Schreiner

Mike Schreiner has been in charge of his party longer than any of the other leaders. The Greens chose the Kansas-born entrepreneur in 2009 after his years of community organizing in Guelph, where he broke through in 2018 as the first Green MPP in Ontario history.

12:20 p.m.

Low turnout expected in Ontario election

– Jill Mahoney

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There is one number that some political scientists will analyze closely when Ontarians go to the polls today, and it’s not the winning party’s seat total.

Instead, they’ll examine voter turnout as a measure of engagement with the political process. And, in this election, many observers expect that figure will be low.

Fewer voters cast their ballots early this year, according to Elections Ontario. Approximately 6 per cent of eligible electors voted in advance, down from almost 10 per cent in 2022 and just under 7 per cent in 2018. However, advance voting was available for just three days, a shorter window than in earlier elections.

Overall, voter turnout has been declining in Ontario. Just 44 per cent of voters cast ballots in 2022 – a record low for the province. Turnout was nearly 57 per cent in 2018.

Voters have shown up at varying rates in other recent provincial elections. Turnout was low in Nova Scotia in November, where just 45 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. In New Brunswick, 66 per cent of voters turned up in voting booths in October, the same as the previous election. And in British Columbia, turnout was 58 per cent in October, up from 2020.

Political scientists are divided on whether low voter turnout indicates an ailing democracy or merely a lack of public interest in a particular election. Some argue that lower numbers of voters signal that many are satisfied with the status quo.

Read more here: Experts warn of declining voting trends as low turnout expect in Ontario election

11:13 a.m.

Doug Ford casts ballot in Etobicoke

– Globe staff

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Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford casts his vote in his riding of Etobicoke North on election day, alongside his wife Karla Ford.

10 a.m.

Winter weather travel advisory in effect this morning

– The Canadian Press

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Turnout is widely expected to be a concern on election day, with several weather advisories in effect in parts of the province on Thursday morning.

Light snow was expected to turn to possible showers in Toronto while Ottawa and other parts of eastern Ontario were anticipating five to 10 centimetres of snow. A snowfall warning was issued for Thunder Bay and areas close to the Manitoba border, where Environment Canada called for 15 centimetres of snow starting Thursday night and into Friday. Some areas could see heavier snow.

9 a.m.

Ontario voters head to the polls in early election

– Laura Stone and Jeff Gray

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Ontario voters are heading to the polls after a snap election campaign in which Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has focused on battling U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, while the opposition prioritized health care, housing and the rising cost of living.

Mr. Ford’s early election gambit sparked criticism from his main rivals, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, that he was using the prospect of an economic crisis to fuel his own electoral ambitions. Mr. Ford called the winter vote more than a year ahead of the June, 2026 fixed election date despite already leading a majority government – with a push to win a third, even bigger one.

Mr. Ford maintained throughout the campaign that he needed a new mandate from the public in the face of Mr. Trump’s tariff threats and vowed to spend upward of $40-billion to protect the provincial economy. He also travelled twice to Washington to lobby U.S. lawmakers on trips the opposition dismissed as campaign photo-ops.

Ms. Stiles and Ms. Crombie accuse him of calling the early vote to get ahead of the criminal investigation by the RCMP into his government’s aborted plan to allow select developers to build housing on parts of the protected Greenbelt lands. They also criticize Mr. Ford for failing to build enough housing and for the ailing health care system, as 2.5 million Ontarians are now without a family doctor.

Prior to the snap election campaign, the PCs already held a sizable majority in the legislature, with 79 out of 124 seats. The NDP had 28, the Liberals held nine and the Green Party, led by Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner, had two.

The Liberal campaign has focused on health care, vowing to spend $3-billion on hiring more doctors. But Ms. Crombie has also pledged a middle-class income tax cut.

Meanwhile, during the NDP campaign, Ms. Stiles has pledged to spend billions on health care and education, build affordable housing, and bring in strict rent control rules.