Voting Monday? What happens after the polls close at 8

Voting Monday in Windsor? Any voting place in your ward, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with ID. Then what? Monday night's results are unofficial until the clerk declares them. A tie means an automatic recount. Winners take office Nov. 15.

Topics: Election 2026Council and City Hall

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Windsor votes Monday, Oct. 26, for mayor, ward councillors and school board trustees. Here's the short version of voting day, and what happens once the polls close.

Before you go

Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You can vote at any voting place in your own ward.

Bring ID that shows your name and Windsor address. You don't need your voter card.

If you're already at your voting place when the polls close at 8 p.m. and haven't voted yet, you can still vote.

After 8 p.m.

Ontario's voters' guide says many municipalities report unofficial results on election night. Those numbers aren't final. Results become official when the clerk declares them, which the province says usually happens a few days after voting day, once the clerk has checked that all the votes were counted properly.

Recounts

Ontario's Municipal Elections Act requires an automatic recount only when there's a tie that keeps a seat from being filled. That recount has to happen within 15 days of the clerk's declaration. If it's still tied, the clerk chooses the winner by lot.

A council can order a recount within 30 days after the clerk declares the results.

An eligible voter who has reasonable grounds to believe the results are in doubt can apply to the Superior Court of Justice, within 30 days of the clerk's declaration, to ask a judge to order a recount.

Councils can also set their own rules for other automatic recounts, but those had to be adopted by May 1, 2026.

What it means for you

Whoever wins on Monday takes office on Nov. 15, 2026, for a four-year term that runs to Nov. 14, 2030. Until then, the current council stays in place.

Questions about voting? Call 311. Windsor News does not endorse candidates.