The Conservative Party is moving forward with the nomination of 74 candidates, while the Liberals have 50 candidates ready.

As rumors spread about the possibility of early elections in Ontario, all major political parties are ramping up their preparations, focusing on nominating a full list of 124 candidates to represent all electoral districts in the province.

It seems that Premier Doug Ford is paving the way for early elections a year and a half ahead of the scheduled election date in June 2026. Ford has not ruled out this possibility, confirming this week that winning a new mandate would be necessary if elected President Donald Trump imposes widespread tariffs on Canadian goods, which would directly affect workers and companies in Ontario.

Ford stated, “We’re talking about spending tens of billions of dollars now. We are the most targeted province in the country.”

Party Preparations

In light of these developments, political parties have intensified their efforts to nominate candidates. The Progressive Conservative Party began nominating its candidates last September, and the process has accelerated in recent months, with the party successfully nominating 74 candidates. The Liberal Party, for its part, has confirmed the nomination of 50 candidates or that they are in the process of being nominated. Meanwhile, the Green Party has nominated 45 candidates, and the New Democratic Party 31 candidates.

“The Acceleration of Political Processes”

Melanie Richer, a consultant at Earnscliffe Strategies and former communications director for New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, stated, “There is undoubtedly increasing pressure.” She added that Ford's recent comments about the possibility of early elections have prompted all parties to intensify their efforts.

Richer clarified that these processes require time to search for candidates, organize electoral races, and hold meetings or votes, even if it is just to endorse a single candidate. She said, “The bells are ringing that we may need to move more quickly. We need to find people and speed up those processes.”

What is the goal of early elections?

As indications increase for the possibility of elections in Ontario next month, questions have arisen about Ford's strategy for holding early elections and sending voters to the polls before their scheduled time.