Third Party Advertisement

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A third party advertiser is an advertisement in any medium (billboard, newspaper, radio, etc.) that has the purpose of promoting, supporting, or opposing a candidate. Being registered in a municipality allows the third party advertiser to advertise to the voters in that municipality. It does not include:

An advertisement by or under the direction of a candidate
An advertisement described in the Municipal Election Act subsection (2) or (2.1)
Issues-based advertising (groups that do public outreach can continue their issues-based advocacy work throughout the municipal election period)
Any activities that do not involve spending money such as expressing an opinion on social media, sending an email to a mailing list, and, speaking to neighbours are not considered to be third party advertisements

Registration Process

Individuals or representatives of a corporation or trade union can register as third party advertisers and can make contributions to third party advertisers.
Form 7 must be filed with the Municipal Clerk in person or by an agent. Please review Required Forms below for a list of all forms to be submitted upon registration. The form may not be a copy and may not be scanned or submitted electronically. It must have an original signature.
There is no registration fee.
Proof of identity is required.
The Municipal Clerk must be satisfied that that the individual, corporation or trade union is eligible in order to certify the registration, and may require that identification or additional documents be provided.
A person who is filing as the representative of a corporation or a trade union should make sure that they can provide proof that they are authorized to act on the corporation or trade union’s behalf.
In accordance with section 88.4 of the Act, Third Party Advertiser's are required to register with the Clerk of the municipality prior to incurring any expenses for advertisement (opposing or supporting a candidate).
If you want to advertise in more than one municipality, you must register in each municipality in which you intend to advertise. Third parties that wish to advertise in the Township of North Dumfries must register with the Clerk. Third Party Advertisers may only register with the Clerk of a lower or single tier municipality. If a Third Party Advertiser wishes to advertise throughout the Region of Waterloo, they must register with each individual municipality.
Third party advertising must be done independently of candidates, who are not able to direct a third party advertiser. Candidates are not able to register as third party advertisers.

Registration Deadlines:

An individual, corporation or trade union can register to be a third party advertiser beginning on May 2, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. and can file a registration until October 21, 2022 at 4:30 p.m.

For more information about registering as a third party, go to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs' Third Party Advertiser Guide.

Registration Requirements

In accordance with section 88.4 of the Act, Third Party Advertiser's are required to register with the Clerk of the municipality prior to incurring any expenses for advertisement (opposing or supporting a candidate).

If you want to advertise in more than one municipality, you must register in each municipality that you intend to advertise in.

There is no registration fee to register as a Third Party Advertiser.

Required Forms

Notice of Registration - Form 7
Declaration of Qualifications Form W10
Release of Campaign Information Form W11
Nomination Checklist Form W14
Proof of identity

Withdrawing Your Registration

If you want to end your advertising campaign before voting day, you can withdraw your

registration by notifying the clerk in writing. The deadline to withdraw your registration is the Friday before voting day (October 21st before 4:30 p.m.)

Spending Limits

Third Party Advertisers will be subject to two spending limits:

a general spending limit; and
a separate limit for expenses related to parties and expressions of appreciation after the close of voting.

The proposed formula consists of a base amount plus a per elector amount to a predetermined maximum.

The Act also provides that the spending limit for parties and other expressions of appreciation after voting day be set at 10% of the general spending limit. This would be consistent with the spending limit already in place for candidates.

Campaign Period ("restricted period")

The "restricted period for third party advertisers" begins May 2, 2022, the earliest day that an individual, corporation or trade union can file a notice of registration as a registered third party for the municipal election. The restricted period ends at the close of voting on October 24, 2022.

Third Party Advertisers can begin an advertising campaign after registering with the Clerk. Registered Third Party Advertisers are advised that the By Law No. 2952-18 is applicable to signs posted by registered Third Party Advertisers. Third Party Advertisers must provide the following information on their advertisements:

Legal name of the Registered Third Party
The municipality where the Third Party is registered
Contact information for Third Party (telephone number, mailing address, or email address)

Campaign Spending Limits

Third Party Advertisers are subject to these spending limits:

a general spending limit
a separate limit for expenses related to parties and expressions of appreciation after the close of voting

Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Third Party Advertiser's will be subject to a spending limit that varies by the number of electors in the municipality in which the Third Party Advertiser is registered. The formula used for calculating third party spending limits is: $5,000 plus $0.05 per elector, to a maximum of $25,000. The proposed formula consists of a base amount plus a per elector amount to a predetermined maximum. The Act also provides that the spending limit for parties and other expressions of appreciation after voting day be set at 10% of the general spending limit. This would be consistent with the spending limit already in place for candidates.

Registered Third Parties can accept contributions from any person who is a resident of Ontario, corporations carrying on business in Ontario and trade unions that hold bargaining rights for employees in Ontario. The spouse of a registered Third Party Advertiser can also make contribution to the advertising campaign, even if they are not a resident in Ontario. Groups such as clubs, associations, or ratepayer’s groups cannot make contributions. Individual members of these groups are eligible to contribute from their personal funds so long as they are residents of Ontario. Contributions are limited to a maximum of $1,200 to a single Third Party Advertiser and a maximum of $5,000 to or more Third Party Advertisers registered in the Township.

Responsibilities of Broadcasters or Publishers of Third Party Advertisements

In accordance with section 88.5(4) of the Act, the broadcaster or publisher of a third party advertisement shall maintain records containing the following information for a period of four years after the date the advertisement appears and shall permit the public to inspect the records during normal business hours:

The information provided under subsection (2)
A copy of the advertisement, or the means of reproducing it for inspection
A statement of the charge made for its appearance