Campaign Expenses/Subsidies/Advertising

Campaign Expenses Defined

The Act sets ceilings on the amount that a registered party or candidate can spend during a campaign. This is to help ensure that all have an equal chance of being elected.

The Act defines a "campaign expense" to be any expense incurred for goods or services in relation to an election by or on behalf of a political party, constituency association or candidate registered with the Chief Electoral Officer for use in whole or in part during the period beginning when the election is called and ending on polling day, and is deemed to include the value of any goods held in inventory or any fees or expenses for services for any candidate or political party, and any contribution of goods and services to the political party, constituency association or candidate registered with the Chief Electoral Officer.

Transfers of inventory stock to the candidate, any prepaid fees or expenses for services and any contribution of goods and services for campaign use will count toward the spending limit. Also, any spending done by the association to promote its candidate during the campaign is an expense. However, the ongoing yearly administrative expenses of a constituency association are not included.

Other exceptions from "campaign expenses" are:  the cost of seeking nomination, auditor's fees, expenses incurred holding a victory party, running "thank you" ads after polling day, the cost of a fund-raising activity (Section 4 on page 14), child care expenses of a candidate or other expenses not of a partisan value that are set out in the Chief Electoral Officer's guidelines. (See page 23 for campaign expense exceptions).
 
Candidate Spending Limit

The candidate's limit includes all expenses incurred by the candidate's campaign organization and any spending done by others on the candidate's behalf during the campaign period, particularly the constituency association.

The candidate's spending limit is calculated at $1.19 times the number of electors in the candidate's electoral district.

Candidates from the electoral districts of Algoma-Manitoulin, Kenora-Rainy River, Nickel Belt, Thunder Bay-Atikokan, Thunder Bay-Superior North, Timiskaming-Cochrane and Timmins-James Bay are allowed a further $8,680 because of the high travel costs in those areas.

Campaign Subsidy

When the financial statements and auditor's reports for the campaign period for both the candidate and constituency association have been filed, the campaign is entitled to financial support from the Chief Electoral Officer if the candidate received 15% or more of the popular vote in the riding, and if the financial statements of both the candidate and constituency association are approved.

The amount of the candidate's campaign subsidy is tied in with the spending limit under the Act. The candidate is entitled to either 20% of the maximum allowable spending limit or 20% of the actual campaign expenses -- whichever is less.

A further subsidy of $7,840 is given to candidates in the electoral districts of Algoma-Manitoulin, Kenora-Rainy River, Nickel Belt, Thunder-Bay-Atikokan, Thunder Bay-Superior North, Timiskaming-Cochrane, and Timmins-James Bay.

The subsidy from the Chief Electoral Officer is intended to help repay campaign debts. Any surplus or deficit will become the responsibility of the constituency association.

Party Spending Limit

Campaign spending of registered political parties is also limited under the Act. In a general election a party is limited to a total expenditure of 74¢ for each elector entitled to vote in all the electoral districts where there is an official candidate of that party. For a by-election, the ceiling is 74¢ for each of such electors in that constituency.

Therefore, it is up to the person in charge of advertising to plan the media schedule in accordance with the limits.

Note: All political printed advertising, handbills, placards, posters, electronic sites and broadcast or telecast advertisements shall bear or make reference to the name of the registered constituency association, registered political party, person, corporation or trade union authorizing the political advertising.

Commencement of Campaign Advertising

In all elections there is a blackout period imposed on the day before polling day and polling day.

In by-elections and general elections that are not scheduled under subsection 9(2) of the Election Act, there is an additional blackout period imposed that begins when writs are issued and ends on the 22nd day before polling day.  In this instance the allowable period for political advertising begins 22 days before polling day and ends at midnight on the day which is two days before polling day.  For example, if polling day were May 28, then political advertising could only be done during the period from May 6 through May 26 inclusive.

However, the Act does not require that you remove before polling day existing billboards or electronic sites providing they have not been altered during the blackout period. There are also a few other exceptions:

1. You can advertise earlier to announce public meetings, your headquarters location, the services your constituency association will provide with regard to enumeration and revision of the voters' list, or other administrative matters. These announcements must be limited to information and cannot be a solicitation for support.
2. You can advertise services available to the voter both on the day before polling day and on polling day. For example, advertising "baby sitting services provided while you go out to vote", or "rides to the polling station" are permissible, however the exempt service or activity must be the dominant feature of the advertisement. Such ads may contain the name of the candidate, the party name or logo, but must not contain any slogan or motto promoting the candidate or the party, or opposing another candidate or party.
3. A campaign advertisement may appear in a weekly newspaper the day before polling day if that day is the day of its regular publication.
4. You may advertise for volunteer campaign workers at any time.

No broadcast of a partisan nature, however, is permitted on Election Day, or on the previous day.

Limit on Campaign Expenses

All expenses are to be recorded and reported. However, only certain expenses are treated as campaign expenses subject to the spending limit imposed by the Election Finances Act.

Campaign Expense Exceptions

The following are expenses which are excluded from the spending limit:

1. expenses incurred by a candidate in seeking nomination in accordance with the Election Act
2. (f) (b.1) expenses that are incurred by a candidate with disabilities and that are directly related to the candidate's disabilities
3. auditor's and accounting fees
4. interest on loans authorized under section 35
5. expenses incurred in holding a fund-raising activity referred to in section 23
6. expenses incurred for "victory parties" held and "thank you" advertising published after polling day
7. expenses incurred in relation to the administration of the political party or constituency association
8. transfers authorized under section 27
9. fees paid in respect of maintaining a credit card facility
10. expenses relating to a recount in respect of the election
11. child care expenses of a candidate and other expenses not of partisan value that are set out in guidelines provided by the Chief Electoral Officer under clause 2 (1) (j)
12. expenses relating to research and polling
13. travel expenses

Campaign expenses are deemed to include the value of any goods held in inventory or any fees or expenses for services for any candidate or political party, and any contribution of goods and services to the political party, constituency association or candidate registered under the Election Finances Act, for use in whole or in part during the period commencing with the issue of the writ for an election and terminating on polling day.