Information for Third Party Advertisers
Registered Third Party Advertisers |
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The following have filed the required documentation and are registered as a third party advertiser:
Note: Notices of Registration are public documents and are available for inspection in the Clerk's Office. |
Becoming a Registered Third Party |
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Ontario residents, corporations and trade unions that will incur expenses for advertisements related to the promotion, support or opposition of a candidate, or take a position on a “yes” or “no” question on the ballot, in any broadcast, print, electronic, or other medium must register as a third party advertiser. They can begin filing their Notice of Registration on Monday, May 2, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. |
Who can Register as a Third Party Advertiser? |
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Only the following persons and entities are eligible to file a notice of registration:
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Who Cannot Register as a Third Party Advertiser? |
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Persons and entities that are not eligible to file a notice of registration include:
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Registration Information |
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An individual, corporation or trade union may register as a third party by filing a Notice of Registration (Form 7) at the Municipality of Meaford’s Administrative Office during regular office hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), beginning Monday, May 2, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. The Notice of Registration may not be faxed, mailed or emailed, as an original signature is required. The individual filing the Notice of Registration will be required to present proof of identity as well as a Declaration of Qualification (Form TPA01) signed by the individual or by a representative of the corporation or trade union, as the case may be. |
Filing a Registration |
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To become a third party advertiser, you must file the required documentation during the registration period.
Please book an appointment to file the required documentation by contacting: Margaret Wilton-Siegel Note: Notices of Registration are public documents and are available for inspection in the Clerk’s Office. |
Registration Period |
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Campaign Finances |
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An individual, corporation, or trade union cannot raise or spend any money on third party advertisements that will appear during an election in the Municipality of Meaford until they have registered as a third party and opened a bank account exclusively for the purposes of the election campaign. Registered third parties are responsible for keeping records of the financial activities related to their campaign and are required to keep these records until November 2026 when the next council or school board takes office. |
Contributions |
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Campaign contributions are any money, goods or services that are given to a registered third party for use in their campaign, including money and goods that a third party contributes to their own campaign. Registered third parties must issue a receipt for every contribution they receive. The receipt should show who made the contribution, the date, and the value of the contribution. The following persons and entities may make a contribution to a registered third party:
The following persons and entities shall not make a contribution to a registered third party:
Individuals may contribute a total of $1,200 to a registered third party in relation to third party advertisements that appear during an election in the Municipality of Meaford. Individuals may not contribute more than $5,000 in total to two or more registered third parties registered in the Municipality of Meaford. Contributions greater than $25 may not be made in cash. All contributions above $25 must be made by cheque, money order, or by a method that clearly shows where the funds come from. Registered third parties are required to inform each of their contributors of these contribution limits. |
Campaign period |
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The campaign period for a registered third party begins on the day their Notice of Registration is filed and ends on January 3, 2023. On this date, the registered third party's campaign is automatically closed. Registered third parties cannot accept any contributions or incur any expenses after the end of the campaign period. If at the end of the campaign period a registered third party’s campaign expenses are greater than their campaign income, their campaign will be in deficit. The registered third party may take action to extend their campaign in order to do some additional fundraising. If a registered third party’s campaign has a surplus, the registered third party must pay the surplus to the Clerk when filing their financial statement. |
Extending a campaign |
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If a registered third party has a deficit at the end of the campaign period, they can extend their campaign for an additional six months to attempt to erase the deficit. To extend a campaign, a registered third party must:
A campaign period will continue until the earliest of the following:
Registered third parties that extend their campaign must submit two financial statements by the statutory deadline dates:
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Financial statements |
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Registered third parties are responsible for filing a complete and accurate financial statement by Friday, March 31, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. The statement covers the period from the day the registered third party filed their Notice of Registration until December 31, 2022. A registered third party must notify the Clerk, in writing, of any Court extension by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023. Penalties will commence at 2:01 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023. |
Supplementary Financial Statements |
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The final date for registered third parties, who extended their campaign, to file their supplementary financial statement is Friday, September 29, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. The statement covers the period from the day the registered third parties filed their Notice of Registration until June 30, 2023. A registered third party must notify the Clerk, in writing, of any Court extension by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023. Penalties will commence at 2:01 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023. |
Contribution Rebate Program |
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Registered third parties are not eligible to participate in the Contribution Rebate Program. |
Campaigning and Sign Restrictions |
| Third party advertisements
A third party advertisement is an advertisement in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium that has the purpose of promoting, supporting or opposing a candidate, or a “yes” or “no” question on the ballot. This does not include advertisements by or under the direction of a candidate. All individuals, corporations and trade unions must register before incurring any expense related to third party advertisements appearing between Monday, May 2, 2022, and Monday, October 24, 2022. Mandatory information in third party advertisements All third party advertisements must contain the following information:
Mandatory information for broadcasters and publishers Registered third party advertisers must provide the following information to the broadcaster or publisher in writing:
Broadcasters and publishers are prohibited from running a third party advertisement unless the above-noted information is provided. The broadcaster or publisher of a third party advertisement is required to retain the following information for a period of four years after the date the advertisement appears:
The broadcaster or publisher must also permit the public to inspect these records during normal business hours. |
Election Signs |
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Please refer to the Municipality’s Election Sign By-law 2018-50 and Grey County Corporate Procedure MS-TS-005-001 for specific details regarding election signs. A sign permit or a permit application is not required for election signs. Signs can be displayed no sooner than Friday, August 26, 2022. All election signs must be removed by Saturday, October 29, 2022. Election campaigning or the distribution/posting of election campaign material at municipally-owned or leased facilities is not permitted, with the exception of road allowances. |
Additional Resources for Third Party Advertisers |
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For each municipal general election, the Province of Ontario releases a guide with information for those who want to register as third party advertisers for the 2022 municipal council and school board elections. 2022 Third Party Advertisers' Guide
On April 22, 2022, Grey County and its member municipalities hosted an information session for prospective candidates and third party advertisers. The session presentations and recording are available at the links below: |
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