The main political parties in Ontario spent the summer endorsing candidates, managing "campaign schools," and advertising campaigns following the Premier's statements this spring that stirred speculation he would call for an early election.

The scheduled date for the next provincial election won’t be until June 2026, but Doug Ford set alarm bells ringing in political circles last May when he repeatedly refused to commit to that timeline during a press conference, stating only that he wants to ensure he meets his agenda and fulfills the promises made by his majority Progressive Conservative government.

Campaign directors for the Liberals, Genevieve Tomney and Chad Walsh - who will be officially appointed to their positions soon - looked at each other and said, "Now it's time to leave," as Tomney said during an interview, “We are treating this as a campaign summer.”

"What I would say about campaigns is that I sometimes liken them to an iceberg, where there's a lot of work being done below the surface, but we’re preparing for the big end-of-summer push in the fall."

Some of this work below the surface involves reaching out to campaign staff and potential volunteers. The days of a strong Liberal majority government with a ready campaign army are gone – most have transitioned to different roles and into the private sector.

Tomney said, "Reuniting all these people again is somewhat of a massive effort for volunteers / human resources as well."

Some of the public-facing election preparations include nominating candidates. The Liberals are starting with nominations for incumbents, but that will only fill nine out of 124 ridings, so the next task is daunting.

It’s unclear how long they will have - elections tend to occur in the fall or spring, and Tomney mentioned that the Liberals are focusing on three main scenarios: fall 2024, spring 2025, and spring 2026 as scheduled.

Ford told Ottawa radio station CFRA that Ontario will "100 percent" not hold elections this summer or fall.

But parties like the New Democratic Party are not counting on that.

Party leader Marit Styles said in an interview, "We will prepare in this way. If it’s not this fall and if it’s, for example, next spring, we will be more prepared."

While Larissa Walar, Ford’s former communications director and founder of Walman Strategies, stated that a spring 2025 election seems more likely than a fall one.

She added in an interview, "I saw how the last elections were called; it was essentially a referendum on the budget they presented and they won more seats. So I wouldn't be surprised if they did something similar because it worked well last time."

Styles said the New Democratic Party began planning a campaign early this year, but Ford's comments "increased the tempo of the campaign.” Styles added that summer is always a good time for Members of the Provincial Parliament to connect with their constituents, and this year politicians and volunteers are out knocking on doors.

"Our MPPs are out and some have been all over the province and will continue to do so to help connect with our activists and engage with potential voters and assist us in identifying candidates, which represents a significant push right now."

"In many of the ridings, where we don’t have incumbents and we don’t even have a candidate yet, the organizers are promoting this summer. They are trying to cover as many ridings as possible. Many of them are trying to get through the entire riding... before the fall."

Styles said the New Democratic Party is also running campaign schools this summer to help educate people in local riding associations on how to run election campaigns, so the party is ready on the ground locally, not just centrally.

Both opposition parties are also working on some advertisements to help introduce their leaders to voters, as this will be the first general provincial election each faces.

The Green Party of Ontario, which now has two seats in the legislature, has also been busy over the past two months.

Executive director Jaime Peckha wrote in a statement, "We have spent the summer building local mobilization teams and strengthening our ability to play on the ground in targeted ridings across the province, with our leader and deputy leader engaged in regular canvassing in the ridings."

"We are also preparing to open nominations very soon."

The Progressive Conservatives currently hold 78 seats, giving them a significant advantage when it comes to fielding 124 candidates for the election. Walar mentioned that the party is also leading in polls and raising more funds than others, which are significant factors in considering electoral readiness. She added that they are also conducting polls and research continually.

Walar continued that members of the Conservative Party bloc were also knocking on doors this summer, but Ford encourages them to do so year-round, regardless of where they are in the election cycle.

She said, "If you do that, the benefit is that you are more prepared for the elections, but the practical side is that you know what your voters are thinking throughout the year."

"I think (the party) learned a lot of lessons from the time they spent out of government, from the things they will always make sure to do, which is data and fundraising. They will not be caught off guard again being unprepared."