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Supplementary Information Tables – Details on Transfer Payment Programs2022–23 Departmental Plan

Details on transfer payment programs

Reimbursements to eligible candidates and political parties, and subsidies to auditors of candidates, nomination contestants, leadership contestants and registered associations

Start date 1974
End date Ongoing
Type of transfer payment Other (not grants or contributions)
Type of appropriation The program is appropriated through the statutory authority for electoral expenditures.
Fiscal year for terms and conditions Not applicable
Link to departmental result(s) Canada maintains a fair, secure and transparent electoral process free of undue influence.
Link to the department's program inventory Electoral Integrity & Regulatory Oversight (2021–22)

Political Entities Regulatory Compliance (2022–23 and ongoing)
Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program Elections Canada's role is to administer the Canada Elections Act (the Act), which has three main objectives: fairness, transparency and participation.

To promote fairness and participation, the Act provides for the partial reimbursement of paid election expenses, personal expenses of candidates and accessibility expenses for by-elections and general elections. It also provides for the partial reimbursement of paid election expenses of registered parties and paid accessibility expenses for general elections. Lastly, the Act provides for a subsidy for audit fees of eligible political entities. To be eligible for partial reimbursement of election expenses, candidates must be elected or obtain at least 10% of the valid votes cast in their electoral district. Registered parties must obtain at least 2% of the valid votes cast nationally or 5% of the valid votes cast in electoral districts where the party has endorsed candidates.

A subsidy is sent directly to the external auditors of eligible political entities (candidates, registered associations, nomination contestants and leadership contestants). To qualify for an audit subsidy, an eligible entity must have accepted contributions or incurred expenses totalling $10,000 or more during the year.

This transfer payment program does not include any refundable contribution.
Expected results Eligible political entities and auditors will receive statutory reimbursements and subsidies provided by law.
Fiscal year of last completed evaluation Not applicable (statutory payments as determined by Parliament)
Decision following the results of last evaluation Not applicable
Fiscal year of next planned evaluation Not applicable
General targeted recipient groups Eligible political entities and auditors
Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients Elections Canada provides targeted recipient groups with tools, detailed information and training that explain the terms and conditions for eligibility to statutory reimbursements and subsidies.

Financial Information
Type of transfer payment 2021–22
forecast spending
2022–23
planned spending
2023–24
planned spending
2024–25
planned spending
Total grants 0 0 0 0
Total contributions 0 0 0 0
Total other types of transfer payments 67,836,547 1,620,000 1,620,000 1,620,000
Total program 67,836,547 1,620,000 1,620,000 1,620,000