This guide provides information to those who want to register as third party advertisers for the 2022 municipal council and school board elections. The information also applies to any by-elections that may be held during the 2022-2026 council and school board term.

This guide is not meant to replace provincial legislation. It provides general information about the rules contained in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and other legislation and regulations, such as:

General information

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets out a framework of rules for third party advertising.

This guide provides information about who can register to be a third party advertiser, what registration allows them to do, and the rules that third party advertisers must follow.

Contact us

If you have further questions or would like to give feedback on this Guide, please contact us at mea.info@ontario.ca.

You can also contact your regional Municipal Services Office at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The municipal clerk

Every municipality has a municipal clerk who is in charge of running the election.

The municipal clerk is the main contact for registered third party advertisers and those who are interested in becoming registered.

Third party advertisers must file any election forms, such as the registration form and campaign financial statements, with the municipal clerk.

The clerk is also responsible for providing information about spending limits and filing deadlines to third party advertisers.

If your municipality does not have a website, you could visit or contact your municipality’s offices for more information.

A municipality may have specific rules regarding issues such as where and when election signs may be displayed and whether third party advertising activities may occur on municipal property.

Contact your municipal clerk if you have questions about the election in your municipality.

Emergency declaration by the clerk

If the municipal clerk believes that circumstances have arisen that prevent the election from being conducted appropriately, they may declare an emergency. This declaration is specific to the election and separate from an emergency that may be declared by the municipality or the province.

Once the clerk has declared an emergency, they can decide what arrangements to make to allow the election to proceed appropriately. The arrangements that the clerk makes will depend on the nature of the emergency.

If your municipal clerk has declared an emergency in relation to an election or by-election in your municipality, you should contact the clerk for information about the arrangements that they have put in place and how those arrangements may affect voting and campaigning.