As Peterborough prepares for its 2018 municipal election, the 39 candidates running for office will be responsible for complying with the updated Municipal Elections Act, which includes changes to campaign finance rules.
“Corporations and trade unions can no longer make financial contributions to a campaign. Rather, if they wish, they can register as a third-party advertiser, and through advertisements, they can show support for a candidate,” said Peterborough city clerk John Kennedy, providing an example of a new municipal campaign finance rule.
Individuals can contribute a maximum of $1,200 to any one candidate’s campaign and a maximum of $5,000 to any block of candidates.
In addition, candidates who wish to self-fund their campaign may do so, however there are now limits to how much money a candidate can pour into their election bid.
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“If a candidate wishes to hold a post-election appreciation event for their supporters, there are now limits as to how much money can be spent on that event,” said Kennedy.
Also new for 2018 is the requirement that candidates identify who is paying for their advertisements.
“In the case of the candidate, it’s just a matter of having a statement on their signs indicating that it’s authorized by the campaign to elect and the candidate’s name,” said Kennedy.
The rationale behind the new rule is that transparency will assist voters in understanding who is paying for the campaign signs and advertisements they see.
Municipalities are required to publicly report candidates who do not comply with the new campaign rules and financial requirements of the act.
In the event that an elector believes a candidate has not adhered to the new rules, they can apply to the municipality for a compliance audit.
“Penalties vary. Depending on the circumstance, they may include forfeit of office, perhaps ineligibility to run in a future election, fines and, ultimately, imprisonment,” said Kennedy.