Site MenuElections Canada: Information about Programs and Information Holdings (Info Source)
Regulation of Electoral Activities (P)
This program provides Canadians with an electoral process that is fair, transparent and in compliance with the Canada Elections Act. Within this program, Elections Canada is responsible for administering the political financing provisions of the Act. This includes compliance monitoring, disclosure and reporting financial activities. This program includes two sub–programs: Administration of Political Financing; and Compliance.
Administration of Political Financing (SP)
This sub-program provides eligible candidates with election expenses reimbursements, audit subsidies and nomination deposit refunds. It also provides eligible registered parties with election expenses reimbursements and eligible registered electoral district associations with an audit subsidy. Within this sub-program, Elections Canada must maintain a registry of registered political parties, electoral districts associations, candidates, nomination contestants, leadership contestants and third parties. In addition, to ensure transparency, Elections Canada publishes all financial transactions returns on its website. Within the Regulation of Electoral Activities program, this sub–program uses transfer payment funding for the partial reimbursement of election expenses and personal expenses to eligible candidates, the partial reimbursement of general election expenses to eligible political parties and the payment of subsidies to auditors of candidates and registered associations.
Compliance Assistance Unit – Administration of Political Financing (COR)
Description: Records include information related to the preparation and review of referrals that do not fall within the criteria of the Administrative Compliance Policy. They also include information on the monitoring of unpaid claims and loans, as well as on the contribution rules for all political entities.
Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, policies, procedures, financial returns, logs.
Record Number: Elections 3220
Political Financing and Audit – Administration of Political Financing (COR)
Description: Records include information related to election expenses reimbursements, audit subsidies and nomination deposit refunds to eligible candidates. They also include information regarding election expenses reimbursements to eligible registered political parties as well as audit subsidies to eligible registered electoral district associations.
Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, procedures, policies, financial returns, logs.
Record Number: Elections 3320
Registry of Political Entities – Administration of Political Financing (COR)
Description: Records consist of information related to the legislative provisions regarding political entities registration, such as the processing of new registration applications and communication of decisions to applicants, the processing of registry information updates for existing registered political entities, and the issuance of acknowledgements to applicants upon receipt of applications. Records also include information related to the processing of notices of continuation from registered associations that wish to continue for new electoral districts when electoral boundaries are revised, the preparation of statutory notices of deregistration of political entities for publication in the Canada Gazette, and the publication of registration data on the Elections Canada website.
Document Types: Political entities registration and update forms, backgrounders, memoranda, correspondence, reports, office procedures.
Record Number: Elections 3420
Regulatory Instruments and Systems – Administration of Political Financing (COR)
Description: Records include information related to the maintenance of various political financing systems used to administer the political financing reporting requirements of the Canada Elections Act. They also include information regarding the records management function within the sector.
Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, procedures, financial returns.
Record Number: Elections 3520
Compliance and enforcement (SP)
Through this sub-program, Elections Canada provides Canadians, candidates, political entities and other stakeholders with information and training tools to better understand the regulatory framework and recognize their responsibilities and obligations under the Act. This includes preparing and publishing written opinions as well as guidelines and interpretation notes on the application of the Act. This sub-program also involves reviewing financial returns to verify compliance with the statutory provisions and assisting political entities with compliance. It also monitors compliance with the legislative framework through prevention, detection and analysis of incidents affecting the integrity of the electoral process, while ensuring that independent audits of poll workers' performance are conducted and their results are published. Situations of non-compliance that involve a possible offense are referred to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, who is responsible for investigations and enforcement in relation to electoral legislation.
Opinions, Guidelines and Interpretations (COR)
Description: Records include written guidelines and interpretation notes issued by Elections Canada pursuant to section 16.1 of the Canada Elections Act to registered parties, registered associations, nomination contestants, candidates or leadership contestants. Elections Canada issues guidelines and interpretation notes at its discretion or on application by the chief agent of a registered party. Records also include written opinions which Elections Canada is required to issue pursuant to section 16.2 of the Canada Elections Act to an activity or practice that a registered party, registered association, nomination contestant, candidate or leadership contestant proposes to engage in. Elections Canada issues these opinions on application by the chief agent of a registered party.
Document Types: Drafts, consultations, comments and responses on drafts, research, correspondence, meeting summaries, and final versions for the registry.
Record Number: 3020
Electoral Integrity (COR)
Description: Records include information relating to Elections Canada's forwarding procedures for potential violations to the Canada Elections Act to the Commissioner of Canada Elections and Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Additional records include documentation relating to quality control assessments and recommended measures for improvement; social media monitoring implementation; as well as the implementation of the mandatory audit outlined in the Canada Elections Act. There is also information relating to corporate risk assessment based on environmental research.
Document Types: Project plans, process maps, memoranda, briefing notes, reports, presentations, training material, academic and current event research database, and corporate risk assessment database.
Record Number: Elections 3120
Compliance Assistance Unit – Compliance (COR)
Description: Records include information related to post-audit activities and the application of the Administrative Compliance Policy, which focuses on compliance through education.
Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, policies, procedures, financial returns, logs.
Record Number: Elections 3620
Political Financing and Audit – Compliance (COR)
Description: Records include information related to the auditing of financial returns to verify compliance with the statutory provisions and the assistance of political entities with compliance.
Document Types: Correspondence, audits, memoranda, procedures, policies, financial returns, logs.
Record Number: Elections 3720
Registry of Political Entities – Compliance (COR)
Description: Records include information related to activities for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Canada Elections Act in terms of political entities registration.
Document Types: Political entities registration and update forms, manuals, correspondence, reports, office procedures.
Record Number: Elections 3820
Regulatory Instruments and Systems – Compliance (COR)
Description: Records include information related to the political entities training program intended for registered electoral district associations, candidates, other stakeholders and, on request, any political party that can assemble a minimum number of participants. The program aims to help these groups better understand the regulatory framework and recognize their responsibilities and obligations under the Canada Elections Act. Records also include information related to database-wide horizontal audit and data-mining reporting procedures, including the verification that annual and event-based contributions are within the limits and the confirmation of political entity agent and auditor eligibility.
Document Types: Correspondence, memoranda, procedures, financial returns, training materials.
Record Number: Elections 3920
Advisory Committee of Political Parties (COR)
Description: The Advisory Committee of Political Parties (ACPP) is a forum for information, consultation and advice on federal electoral matters between registered political parties and the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (CEO). The Steering Committee on Written Opinions, Guidelines and Interpretation Notes (OGIs) was established as a standing subcommittee of the ACPP to support the CEO in issuing OGIs. Records include meeting summaries, which include advice and recommendations relating to elections and political financing.
Document Types: Terms of reference, meeting summaries, forward agenda and correspondence
Record Number: Elections 4020
Broadcasting Arbitrator (COR)
Description: Records consist of information related to the allocation of paid and free broadcasting time, categorized by electoral event and by year. They also include documents relating to the appointment, mandate, responsibilities and administrative duties of the Broadcasting Arbitrator. The Broadcasting Arbitrator allocates broadcasting time to political parties under the Canada Elections Act and to referendum committees under the Referendum Act, issues guidelines concerning the procedures for booking broadcasting time during a general election or a referendum, and arbitrates disputes between political parties or referendum committees and broadcasters or networks concerning the application of these acts.
Document Types: Statement of powers and duties, selection and appointment records, tables on the allocation of paid and free time, rules, minutes of meetings, reports, guidelines and correspondence.
Record Number: Elections 5210
Commissioner of Canada Elections (COR)
Description: Includes records related to complaints and referrals about alleged violations of the Canada Elections Act; the assessment of complaints and referrals; the preparation, conduct and findings of investigations authorized by the Commissioner; compliance agreements and caution letters; any referral by the Commissioner to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada; and the training of persons who conduct investigations for the Commissioner of Canada Elections.
Document Types: Complaints, referrals from within Elections Canada, legal advice and opinions, correspondence, compliance agreements, caution letters, plans, investigation reports, training programs, training documents
Record Number: Elections 5220
Related Personal Information Bank: Commissioner of Canada Elections (PIB)