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The Municipal Elections Act includes framework for third party advertising that came into effect on April 1, 2018. For full details on the responsibilities of Third-Party Advertisers including eligibility, spending limits, and enforcement refer to the Resources drop-down below.
| What is a Third Party Advertisement? |
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A Third Party Advertisement is an advertisement in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium that has the purpose of promoting, supporting or opposing,
Advertisement includes traditional ads as well as materials such as brochures or signs. The meaning of third party in this context means a person or entity who is not a candidate. Eligible individuals, corporations and trade unions can register to be third party advertisers. Third party advertising is separate from any candidate’s campaign and must be done independently from a candidate. |
| What is not a Third Party Advertisement? |
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Activities that do not involve spending money, such as discussions or expressing an opinion about a candidate (or an answer to a question on the ballot) are not considered to be third party advertising. Examples include:
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| Who can be a Third Party Advertiser? |
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Only those who have registered can spend money on third party advertising. The following are eligible to register as a third party advertiser:
If two or more corporations are owned or controlled by the same person or people, or if one corporation controls another, they are considered to be a single corporation. If the same person or people own or control multiple corporations, only one of those corporations may register to be a third party in a municipality. There is no restriction against family members or campaign staff of candidates registering to be third party advertisers. However, third party advertising must be done independently of the candidate. If a person with close ties to a candidate wishes to register they should consider how these activities may look to the public and how they would be able to demonstrate that they were not working in co-ordination with the candidate. |
| Who cannot be a Third Party Advertiser? |
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A candidate running for any municipal council or school board office cannot register to be a third party advertiser in any municipality. Groups, associations or businesses that are not corporations are not eligible to register and may not spend money on third party advertising in municipal elections. For example, neighbourhood associations, clubs or professional associations cannot register and cannot make contributions to third party advertisers. Members may register as individual third party advertisers and may contribute individually. Candidates in the provincial election cannot register. They may register after the provincial election, when they are no longer candidates. Federal and provincial political parties cannot register to be third party advertisers. Political parties are not permitted to be financially involved in municipal elections. |
| How do I register as a Third Party Advertiser? |
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An individual or a representative of a corporation or trade union must file a Notice of Registration (Form 7) with the Clerk in person or by an agent. To register, please make an appointment with the Clerk's office by:
Until you register, you cannot engage in any third party advertising activity. Third Party Advertisers must also file a Financial Statement. |
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Resources |