[R.A., s. 2(1), 13(1)-(5), 13(7), 13(9)]

• A referendum committee means any person who, or group that, intends to incur referendum expenses over $5 000.

• A referendum committee may apply for registration for the purposes of a referendum by filing an application with the Chief Electoral Officer, at any time during the referendum period.

• An application for registration must be signed by the leader of the referendum committee and must set out:

  • the full name of the committee;

  • the name, address and telephone number of the leader, auditor, and chief agent of the committee;

  • the address and telephone number of the office of the committee where its books and records are kept and of the office to which communications may be addressed;

  • the name, address, telephone number and title of each officer of the committee.

• The application must indicate the electoral districts in which the committee intends to support or oppose the referendum question and be accompanied by two statements, one signed by the auditor and the other signed by the chief agent, that the signer has accepted the appointment as auditor or chief agent of the committee.

• Forthwith on receipt of an application for registration of a referendum committee, the Chief Electoral Officer must examine the application and determine whether the committee can be registered and must: if the committee can be registered, register it and so inform the person who signed the application; or if the committee cannot be registered, inform the person who signed the application that the committee cannot be registered and indicate the reason why it cannot be registered.

• A referendum committee cannot be registered if the application for registration does not comply with the Act, or the name of the committee so resembles the name of a previously registered referendum committee that the committee is likely to be confused with that previously registered referendum committee.

• A referendum committee cannot be registered if the name or logo of the committee is the name or logo of a federal party or a provincial party or so resembles such a name or logo that the committee is likely to be confused with the party unless the committee is that party. The name of a party means the full name and any name, or abbreviation of a name, used to identify the party in election documents.

• Applications for registration must be examined in the order in which they were received by the Chief Electoral Officer.

• The registration of a referendum committee for the purposes of a referendum is valid only for that referendum.

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[R.A., s. 22-25]

• Upon the adoption of the text of a question or of a bill that is to be submitted to the referendum by the National Assembly, the Secretary General of the National Assembly must send to each member of the National Assembly a notice to the effect that the member may, within five days after the adoption of the question or of the bill, register with the Chief Electoral Officer in favour of one of the options submitted to the referendum.

• All the members of the National Assembly who register with the Chief Electoral Officer for one of the options, must form the provisional committee in favour of such option.

• Where, at the end of the five-day period, no member of the National Assembly has registered in favour of one of the options, the Chief Electoral Officer may invite not less than three nor more than 20 electors to form the provisional committee in favour of such option. Such electors must be chosen from among the persons publicly identified with such option.

• The Chief Electoral Officer must, with the least possible delay, call a meeting of each provisional committee at the place, day and time he or she indicates. At such meeting, the members of each provisional committee must adopt the by-laws to govern the national committee in favour of such option and appoint the chairman thereof.

• The by-laws governing a national committee may determine any matter relating to its proper operation, including the name under which it is to be known and the manner in which it is to be established.

• Such by-laws may also provide for the setting up of local authorities of this committee in each electoral division, provided that each of these authorities is authorized by the chairman of the national committee.

• These by-laws must furthermore provide for the affiliation to the committee of groups which are favourable to the same option and see to the establishment of the norms, conditions and formalities governing the affiliation and financing of these groups.

• The resolution of a provisional committee appointing the chairman of a national committee and that adopting the by-laws thereof must be certified by the signature of the majority of the members of such provisional committee. They must take effect when they are forwarded to the Chief Electoral Officer and must be replaced or amended only in accordance with the same procedure.

[T.P.A., s. 11]

• Every person or entity who wishes to organize a campaign to solicit votes in favour of a particular result or to promote a particular result in a referendum must apply to the Chief Election Officer for registration as a campaign organizer.

• Every person or entity who wishes to advertise in order to solicit votes in favour of a particular result or to advertise to promote a particular result in a referendum must apply to the Chief Election Officer for registration as a campaign organizer.

• A person or entity is not required to apply for registration if the following requirements are met:

  • the person or entity must not spend more than $1 000 on the campaign to solicit votes or promote a particular result;

  • the person or entity must not combine his, her or its money with that of another person or entity and then spend it on the campaign to solicit votes or promote a particular result.

• A broadcaster or publisher is not required to apply for registration solely because he, she or it broadcasts or publishes advertisements from registered campaign organizers in the ordinary course of business.

• The application must contain such information as the Chief Election Officer requires and must be accompanied by the application fee set by him or her.

• No application may be made until the applicant has appointed a chief financial officer and an auditor licensed under the Public Accountancy Act.

• The Chief Election Officer must register an applicant upon receipt of the application and fee unless the name of the applicant so closely resembles the name of another registered campaign organizer that the two are likely to be confused.

• The Chief Election Officer must maintain a register containing the names of all registered campaign organizers and the information set out in their respective applications for registration.

• The Chief Election Officer must make the register available for inspection by the public on request.

• A registered campaign organizer must notify the Chief Election Officer within a reasonable time if there is any change to the information provided in the application for registration, and the Chief Election Officer must revise the register accordingly.

• If the change relates to the name of the campaign organizer, the Chief Election Officer must not revise the register if the changed name would so closely resemble the name of another registered campaign organizer that the two are likely to be confused. In those circumstances, the name of the campaign organizer must not be changed.

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