Canada Elections Act (S.C. 2000, c. 9)

Reimbursement of Election Expenses and Accessibility Expenses

Marginal note:Certificate

• 444 (1) On receipt from a registered party of the documents referred to in subsection 437(1), the Chief Electoral Officer shall provide the Receiver General with a certificate that sets out the amount that is the sum of 50% of the registered party’s election expenses, as set out in the return for its general election expenses, that were paid by its registered agents and 90% — to a maximum of $250,000 — of the registered party’s accessibility expenses, as set out in that return, that were paid by its registered agents, if

  • (a) the Chief Electoral Officer is satisfied — even despite any statement that the registered party’s auditor has included under paragraph 438(2)(d) in a report under subsection 438(1) — that the registered party and its chief agent have complied with the requirements of sections 437 to 443;

  • (b) the auditor’s report does not include a statement referred to in any of paragraphs 438(2)(a) to (c); and

  • (c) candidates endorsed by the registered party received at least

    • (i) 2% of the number of valid votes cast at the election, or

    • (ii) 5% of the number of valid votes cast in the electoral districts in which the registered party endorsed a candidate.

• Marginal note:Reduction of reimbursement

  (2) If the election expenses, as set out in the election expenses return, exceed the maximum amount that is allowed under section 430, the amount that is provided for in subsection (1) is reduced as follows, without at any time being less than zero:

  • (a) by one dollar for every dollar that exceeds the maximum amount by less than 5%;

  • (b) by two dollars for every dollar that exceeds the maximum amount by 5% or more but by less than 10%;

  • (c) by three dollars for every dollar that exceeds the maximum amount by 10% or more but by less than 12.5%; and

  • (d) by four dollars for every dollar that exceeds the maximum amount by 12.5% or more.

• Marginal note:Reimbursement

  (3) On receipt of the certificate, the Receiver General shall reimburse the amount set out in it to the registered party by paying that amount out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Quarterly Allowances

Marginal note:Quarterly allowance

• 445 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer shall determine, for each quarter of a calendar year, an allowance payable to a registered party whose candidates for the most recent general election preceding that quarter received at that election at least

  • (a) 2% of the number of valid votes cast; or

  • (b) 5% of the number of valid votes cast in the electoral districts in which the registered party endorsed a candidate.

• Marginal note:Computation of fund

  (2) An allowance fund for a quarter is the product of the number of valid votes cast in the election referred to in subsection (1) multiplied by the applicable following number:

  • (a) $0.255, for the quarter that begins on April 1, 2013 and the three following quarters; and

  • (b) $0.1275, for the quarter that begins on April 1, 2014 and the three following quarters.

• Marginal note:Computation of party’s allowance

  (3) Each such registered party’s allowance for a quarter is that part of the allowance fund for that quarter that corresponds to its percentage of valid votes cast in the election referred to in subsection (1).

• Marginal note:Merger of parties

  (4) A merged party is entitled to the aggregate of the allowances to which the merging parties of which it is composed would have been entitled had they not merged.

Marginal note:Certificate

• 446 (1) As soon as feasible after the end of each quarter, the Chief Electoral Officer shall provide the Receiver General with a certificate that sets out the amount of the allowance payable to a registered party for that quarter.

• Marginal note:Delay for non-compliance

  (2) If a registered party has not provided all of the documents that it is required to provide under sections 432, 433 and 437, the Chief Electoral Officer shall postpone providing the certificate for any quarter until the party has provided those documents.

• Marginal note:Payment

  (3) On receipt of the certificate, the Receiver General shall pay the amount set out in it to the registered party out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The payment may also be made in whole or in part to any provincial division of the party, as authorized in writing by the party’s leader.

• Definition of provincial division

  (4) In this Act, provincial division means a division of a registered party for a province or territory in relation to which the party’s leader has provided the following to the Chief Electoral Officer:

  • (a) the name of the division and of the province or territory;

  • (b) the name of the party;

  • (c) the address of the office where records of that division are maintained and to which communications may be addressed;

  • (d) the names and addresses of the chief executive officer and other officers of the division;

  • (e) the name and address of any registered agent appointed by the division; and

  • (f) a declaration signed by the party’s leader certifying that the division is a division of the party.

  This Act applies to information provided under this subsection as if it were information referred to in paragraphs 385(2)(a) to (h).

• Marginal note:Report of changes in information

  (5) Within 15 days after a change in the information referred to in subsection (4), the chief executive officer of the provincial division shall report the change in writing to the chief agent of the registered party.

SUBDIVISION CPersonal Information Collected by Political Parties

446.1 [Repealed, 2026, c. 2, s. 48]

Marginal note:Purpose

446.2 The purpose of the provisions of this Act related to the protection of personal information, including the provisions of this subdivision, is to provide for a national, uniform, exclusive and complete regime applicable to registered parties and eligible parties respecting their activities in relation to personal information, including the collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of personal information.

Marginal note:Activities in relation to personal information

446.3 In order to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election, any registered party or eligible party, as well as any person or entity acting on the party’s behalf, including the party’s candidates, electoral district associations, officers, agents, employees, volunteers and representatives, may, subject to this Act and any other applicable federal Act, carry out any activities in relation to personal information, including the collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of personal information in accordance with the party’s policy for the protection of personal information.

Marginal note:Provincial or territorial Act

• 446.4 (1) When participating in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election, a registered party or eligible party, as well as any person or entity acting on the party’s behalf, including the party’s candidates, electoral district associations, officers, agents, employees, volunteers and representatives, cannot be required to comply with an Act of a province or territory that regulates activities in relation to personal information, including the collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of personal information, unless the party’s policy for the protection of personal information provides otherwise.

• Marginal note:For greater certainty

  (2) For greater certainty, the registered party, eligible party or person or entity acting on the party’s behalf cannot be required to provide access to personal information or provide information relating to personal information under its control or to correct — or receive, adjudicate or annotate requests to correct — personal information or omissions in personal information under its control.

Marginal note:Policy for the protection of personal information

• 446.5 (1) A registered party or eligible party, as well as any person or entity acting on the party’s behalf, including the party’s candidates, electoral district associations, officers, agents, employees, volunteers and representatives, must comply with the party’s policy for the protection of personal information.

• Marginal note:Clarification

  (2) For greater certainty, a person or entity referred to in subsection (1) that fails to comply with the policy referred to in that subsection contravenes that subsection and commits a violation referred to in section 508.1.

Marginal note:Required contents

446.6 The policy for the protection of personal information of a registered party or of an eligible party must be publicly available in both official languages, be written in plain language and

• (a) designate a privacy officer who is responsible for overseeing the party’s compliance with the policy;

• (b) include the name and contact information of the privacy officer;

• (c) state the types of personal information in relation to which the party carries out its activities;

• (d) explain, using illustrative examples, how the party carries out its activities in relation to personal information, such as by indicating whether it does so online or through the use of cookies; and

• (e) describe the training related to the protection of personal information that is offered to the party’s employees and volunteers who may have access to the personal information that is under its control.

Marginal note:Meetings relating to protecting personal information

446.7 The Chief Electoral Officer shall hold at least one meeting each calendar year relating to the protection of personal information by registered parties and eligible parties.

DIVISION 3Electoral District Associations

SUBDIVISION ARegistration of Electoral District Associations

Registration

Marginal note:Prohibition — accepting contributions, etc., while not registered

447 No electoral district association of a registered party shall, unless it is registered,

• (a) accept contributions;

• (b) provide goods or services or transfer funds to a candidate endorsed by a registered party;

• (c) provide goods or services or transfer funds to a registered party or a registered association; or

• (d) accept surplus nomination campaign funds of a nomination contestant, surplus electoral funds of a candidate or surplus leadership campaign funds of a leadership contestant.

Marginal note:Contents of application

• 448 (1) An electoral district association of a registered party may submit to the Chief Electoral Officer an application for registration that includes

  • (a) the full name of the association and of the electoral district;

  • (b) the full name of the registered party;

  • (c) the address of the association’s office where records are maintained and to which communications may be addressed;

  • (d) the names and addresses of the chief executive officer and other officers of the association;

  • (e) the name and address of the appointed auditor of the association; and

  • (f) the name and address of the financial agent of the association.

• Marginal note:Accompanying documents

  (2) The application shall be accompanied by

  • (a) the signed consent of the financial agent to act in that capacity;

  • (b) the signed consent of the auditor to act in that capacity; and

  • (c) a declaration signed by the leader of the party certifying that the electoral district association is an electoral district association of the party.

• Marginal note:Examination of application

  (3) The Chief Electoral Officer shall register an electoral district association that meets the requirements of subsections (1) and (2). In the case of a refusal to register, the Chief Electoral Officer shall indicate to the association which of the requirements have not been met.

• Marginal note:Date of registration

  (4) An electoral district association is registered as of the date on which the Chief Electoral Officer registers it in the registry of electoral district associations.

Marginal note:Only one registered association per district

449 A registered party may have at most one registered association in an electoral district.

Marginal note:Prohibition — incurring partisan advertising expenses, etc.

• 449.1 (1) No electoral district association of a registered party shall

  • (a) incur partisan advertising expenses in relation to partisan advertising messages that promote or oppose a registered party or an eligible party and that are transmitted during a pre-election period; or

  • (b) transmit or cause to be transmitted, during a pre-election period, partisan advertising messages that promote or oppose a registered party or an eligible party.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Despite paragraph (1)(a), an electoral district association of a registered party may incur partisan advertising expenses to the extent that the goods or services that the partisan advertising expense is incurred for are

  • (a) provided to that party, if permitted under paragraph 364(2)(b); or

  • (b) sold to that party.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Despite subsection (1), an electoral district association of a registered party may

  • (a) incur partisan advertising expenses for the transmission of partisan advertising messages referred to in paragraph (1)(a) to the extent that those messages are intended to be transmitted solely, or substantially solely, within the association’s electoral district; and

  • (b) transmit or cause to be transmitted partisan advertising messages referred to in paragraph (1)(b) to the extent that those messages are transmitted solely, or substantially solely, within the association’s electoral district.