Definition: A third party in a Canadian federal election is a person or group who is not a candidate, registered political party or riding association and who purchases advertising during a federal election campaign to support or oppose a candidate, party or referendum position.
The following rules apply to third parties in federal elections:
- Third parties must apply to the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada after an election writ has been dropped as soon as they have incurred $500 in election advertising expenses.
- All third parties must identify themselves on their election advertising and state that the ad was authorized by the third party.
- Third parties who spend $5000 or more on election advertising must appoint an auditor.
- Third parties must report details of their election advertising expenses within four months after election day.
- Third parties must observe the spending limits for election advertising, both for individual ridings and in total for a general election campaign. The spending limits for third parties are indexed annually for inflation.
- Third parties must also report who contributed money to the third party for election advertising purposes in the period starting six months before the writ was issued and ending on election day.
