Information for the media, publishers and broadcasters

• "Political advertising” means advertising for the purpose of promoting or opposing a registered political party or the election of a registered candidate. Contact Elections Ontario at electfingroup@elections.on.ca for more information.
  
• Media, publishers, and broadcasters should not publish, broadcast, or transmit political advertising during the blackout period. To do so is an infraction of the Election Finances Act. Political advertising is advertising in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium with the purpose of promoting or opposing any registered party or the election of a registered candidate. The blackout period does not apply to the official websites of registered parties, candidates, or constituency associations. The blackout period also does not apply to:
  
  • genuine news reporting,
  • the publication of political advertising, on polling day or the day before polling day, in a newspaper that is published once a week or less often and whose regular day of publication falls on that day.
  • a political advertisement on the Internet or in a similar electronic medium, if posted before and not altered during a blackout period.
  • a political advertisement in the form of a poster or billboard, if posted before and not altered during a blackout period.
  • advertising of public meetings in constituencies including fund-raising events,
  • announcing candidate or constituency association headquarters' locations,
  • advertising for volunteer campaign workers,
  • announcing services for electors by candidates or constituency associations respecting enumeration and revision of lists of electors,
  • announcing services for electors on polling day, or
  • any other matter respecting administrative functions of constituency associations
    
    
• It is an offence under the Election Finances Act to publish, broadcast, or transmit to the public on election day, before 9 p.m. (ET),  the results of an election survey that have not previously been made available to the public. This applies to any opinion survey of how electors voted or will vote or respecting an issue with which a political party or candidate is associated.
• All political printed advertising, handbills, placards, posters and broadcast or telecast advertisements must show the name of the registered constituency association, registered candidate, registered political party, registered third party, person, corporation or trade union that caused it to appear and sponsored or paid for it.
• During the election campaign, it is an infraction of the Election Finances Act to charge a political party, constituency association, candidate or third party -- or any person, corporation or trade union acting with the party's, association's, candidate's or third party’s consent -- a rate for the broadcasting, printing, or distribution of political advertising that exceeds the lowest rate charged for the same amount of equivalent advertising space or time during that period.
• A broadcaster may provide time without charge to registered political parties and candidates in accordance with the policies of the CRTC and the provisions of the Broadcasting Act (Canada). The provision of such free time to political parties or candidates is not considered a contribution or an election expense for the purposes of the Election Finances Act.