Political Financing Handbook for Registered Parties and Chief Agents (EC 20231) – December 2023
Table of Contents
- About This Document
- 1. Reference Tables and Timelines
- 2. Registration
- Why become a registered political party?
- Steps to registering a political party
- Eligible parties–reporting requirements and activities
- Registered parties–reporting requirements soon after registration
- Registering provincial or territorial divisions of the party
- Merging registered parties
- Voluntary and involuntary deregistration of a registered party
- Roles and appointments within the party
- 3. Contributions
- What is a contribution?
- What is commercial value?
- Who can contribute?
- Limits on contributions, loans and loan guarantees to a registered party
- Volunteer labour is not a contribution
- Party convention or leadership convention fees are contributions
- Sponsorship or advertising at a political event is a contribution
- Activities conducted by others in coordination with the party may be contributions
- Accepting and recording contributions
- Accepting contributions of cryptocurrency
- Issuing contribution receipts
- Determining the date a contribution is made
- Recording anonymous contributions
- Remitting anonymous contributions that cannot be accepted
- Ineligible contributions
- Returning ineligible or non-compliant contributions
- Collecting online contributions on behalf of candidates
- 4. Loans
- 5. Transfers
- 6. Fundraising
- Regulated fundraising events
- Typical fundraising activities
- 7. Registered Party's Expenses
- 8. Partisan Advertising Expenses for the Pre-election Period
- What is partisan advertising?
- What qualifies as partisan advertising on the Internet?
- Partisan advertising expenses
- Limit on partisan advertising expenses
- Partisan advertising conducted by a registered party
- Partisan advertising conducted by an electoral district association to promote or oppose a party
- 9. Election Expenses
- Typical election expenses
- Traditional election advertising
- Election signs
- Election advertising on the Internet
- Websites and web content
- Broadcasting time
- Voter contact calling services
- Mass text messaging
- Rental of a temporary party office
- Cell phones
- Voter databases, surveys and research
- Party leader's travel expenses
- Campaign workers and related expenses
- High-profile campaigners and invited guests
- Replacement or repair of damaged property
- Communications during a by-election
- Use of existing resources
- 10. Accessibility Expenses
- Typical accessibility expenses
- 11. Working with Other Entities
- Typical shared activities
- 12. Interacting with Third Parties in the Pre-election and Election Periods
- 13. Leadership and Nomination Contest Finances
- 14. Reporting
- 15. Reimbursements
- 16. Redistribution of Electoral Districts