2011 Ontario general election

General elections were held on October 6, 2011, to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party was elected to a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New Democratic Party serving as the third party. In the final result, Premier McGuinty's party fell one seat short of winning a majority government.
Under amendments passed by the Legislature in December 2005, Ontario elections were now held on fixed dates, namely the first Thursday of October every four years. The writ of election was issued by Lieutenant Governor David Onley on September 7, 2011.
The election saw a then–record low voter turnout of 48.2%, only to be surpassed by the 2022 Ontario general election with 44.06%.

Timeline

;2007

October 10, 2007: Elections held for members of the Ontario Legislature in the 39th Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
November 29, 2007: The 39th Legislative Assembly of Ontario officially opens with the Speech from the Throne.

;2008

February 23, 2008: John Tory's continued leadership of the Progressive Conservative party is endorsed by 66.9% of delegates at a leadership review.
June 14, 2008: Premier Dalton McGuinty receives the support of 95.4% of delegates from the Ontario Liberal Party's mandatory leadership review.
June 14, 2008: NDP leader Howard Hampton announces he will be stepping down as party leader at the March 7, 2009 NDP leadership convention.

;2009

January 9, 2009: Progressive Conservative MPP Laurie Scott announces her resignation from the legislature to allow party leader John Tory, who has been without a seat since his defeat in Don Valley West in the 2007 election, to re-enter the legislature.
March 5, 2009: In the Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock by-election following Scott's resignation, Tory is defeated by Liberal candidate Rick Johnson.
March 6, 2009: John Tory resigns as Progressive Conservative leader pending the selection of an interim party leader.
March 7, 2009: Andrea Horwath is elected leader of the Ontario NDP at the party's 2009 leadership convention.
June 27, 2009: Tim Hudak is elected leader of the Progressive Conservative party at its 2009 leadership election and also becomes the new Leader of the Opposition.
September 17, 2009: Eric Hoskins is elected as the MPP for the riding of St. Paul's following the resignation of Michael Bryant on June 7, 2009.
November 4, 2009: Mike Schreiner is affirmed as the new leader of the Green Party of Ontario, receiving 97% approval from the party membership defeating the None of the Above ballot option, in the 2009 leadership election.

;2010

January 29, 2010: Bob Runciman resigns his seat to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada.
February 1, 2010: Jim Watson resigns his seat to run for Mayor in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election
February 4, 2010: Glen Murray is elected as the MPP for the riding of Toronto Centre following the resignation of George Smitherman on January 4, 2010.
March 4, 2010: Bob Chiarelli is elected as the MPP for the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean and Steve Clark is elected as the MPP for the riding of Leeds—Grenville.
December 16, 2010: Peter Fonseca resigned from cabinet to run for the federal Liberals in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville in the 2011 federal election.

;2011

June 3, 2011: Essex MPP Bruce Crozier dies of an aortic aneurysm.
September 7, 2011: Official election call, Premier McGuinty formally asks the Lt. Governor to dissolve the legislature. The campaign will be 29 days long.
September 21–30, 2011: Advance polling stations open for early voting from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
September 27, 2011: The televised Leaders debate aired on CBC, CHCH, CTV, Global, TVOntario and Sun News Network, with Liberal leader and Premier Dalton McGuinty, Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak and New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath.
October 6, 2011: Ontario general election from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. EDT.
Party leadership

In March 2009, PC Party leader John Tory stepped down as leader, with Tim Hudak elected to be his successor. Also in March 2009, Andrea Horwath replaced Howard Hampton as leader of the NDP at the leadership election. Thus, both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP went into the election with a new leader. Green Party of Ontario leader Frank de Jong stepped down in November 2009; their leadership convention confirmed Mike Schreiner as their new leader. Dalton McGuinty won 95 percent support for his leadership at an Ontario Liberal annual general meeting after the 2007 election, and ran again in 2011.

Campaign

Contests

Incumbents not running for reelection

Results

Vote and seat summaries

Summary

Regional analysis

Synopsis of results

Comparative analysis for ridings (2011 vs 2007)

Maps

Principal races

Parties	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Total
	53	47	7			107
	37	44	26			107
	17	16	73	1		107
			1	101	5	107
				3	36	39
				1	10	11
				1	1	2
					21	21
					18	18
					2	2
					1	1
					1	1
					1	1

Significant results among independent and minor party candidates

Those candidates not belonging to a major party, receiving more than 1,000 votes in the election, are listed below:

Riding	Party	Candidates	Votes	Placed
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound		Shane Jolley	1,478	5th
Oak Ridges—Markham		Karl Boelling	1,057	4th
Sarnia—Lambton		Andy Bruziewicz	1,077	4th

Seats changing hands

There were 18 seats that changed allegiance from the 2007 election.
;Liberal to PC

;Liberal to NDP

Media endorsements

Liberals

Barrie Advance
The Globe and Mail
Hamilton Spectator
Ottawa Citizen
Sudbury Star
Toronto Star
Waterloo Region Record
Windsor Star

Progressive Conservatives

Brampton Guardian
Metroland Durham Region Media Group
National Post

Did not endorse

Toronto Sun, ''Ottawa Sun''