General Information
Your campaign period begins on the day you file your nomination papers with the Clerk. You may accept contributions or incur campaign expenses during your campaign period only. In most cases, your campaign will end on December 31, 2026. Exceptions are if you:
- withdrew your nomination, your campaign ends on the date you informed the clerk in writing that you wanted to withdraw
- were not certified as a candidate and your name did not appear on the ballot, your campaign ends on nomination day (August 21, 2026)
- know you will not have any more financial activity, you can end your campaign at any time after voting day and before December 31, 2026
- If you have extended your campaign to pay down a deficit, the end date for the extended campaign period will be the earliest of the day you notify the clerk in writing that you will be ending your campaign and not accepting any more contributions or June 30, 2027.
Record keeping
You are responsible for keeping records of the financial activities related to your campaign. The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 does not require you to use any specific accounting system. You may want to consult with an auditor or an accountant early in your campaign to make sure that you are using a bookkeeping and accounting system that will suit your needs.
You should also look through the campaign financial statement (Form 4) that you will be required to file to make sure that you are keeping records of all the information that must be included on the statement.
You are required to keep all of your campaign financial records until November 15, 2030 when the next council or school board takes office.
You must keep the following campaign records:
- receipts issued for every contribution including when you accepted the contribution and the date you issued the receipt (remember to issue receipts to yourself for any contributions you make)
- the value of every contribution, whether it is in the form of money or goods or services, and the contributor’s name and address
- all expenses, including the receipts obtained for each expense
- any claim for payment of an expense that the campaign disputes or refuses to pay
- the funds raised and expenses incurred from each separate fundraising event or activity
- the terms of any loan received from a bank or other recognized lending institution
Campaign period
Bank account
You must open a bank account exclusively for your campaign if you accept any contributions of money (including contributions from yourself or your spouse) or incur any expenses. You do not have to open a campaign bank account if you do not spend any money and do not receive any contributions of money. If you receive contributions of goods or services, but no contributions of money, you do not have to open a campaign bank account.
You cannot use your personal bank account for campaign finances, even if you are planning a very small campaign.
All contributions – including contributions you make to yourself – must be deposited into the campaign bank account. All expenses must be paid for from the campaign account.
The nomination fee is considered to be a personal expense, not a campaign expense. You do not need to have a campaign bank account in order to pay the nomination fee.
Contributions and campaign income
Contributions
Campaign contributions are any money, goods or services that are given to you for use in your campaign, including money and goods that you contribute to yourself.
If you are given a special discount on a good or service that you are purchasing for your campaign, the difference between what you were charged and what the market value would be is considered to be a contribution.
Corporations and other businesses are not permitted to make contributions to candidates. If you are being offered a discount, you should make sure that whoever is offering the discount is entitled to make a personal contribution to your campaign.
If a professional who would normally charge for a service gives you that service for free, the market value of the service is considered to be a contribution.
If you sell tickets to a fundraising event, the cost of the ticket is considered to be a contribution. If you sell goods at a fundraising event for more than their market value, the difference between what the person attending the fundraising event paid you and what they would have normally paid for the item is considered to be a contribution.
If you have inventory such as signs left over from a previous campaign and you use them again, the current market value of the signs (what it would cost you to buy those signs today) is considered to be a contribution that you make to your campaign.
If you or your spouse guarantees your campaign loan and the campaign is unable to repay the full amount, any unpaid balance is considered to be a contribution by the guarantor.
Things that are not contributions:
- If you have volunteers working for your campaign, the value of their volunteer labour is not considered to be a contribution.
- A cash donation of $25 or less received at a fundraising event is not considered to be a contribution, and you may accept such donations without keeping track of who gave them to you. You will have to report the total amount of money that you received from these donations on your financial statement.
- The value of free political advertising, provided that such advertising is made available to all candidates and is in accordance with the Broadcasting Act (Canada) is not considered to be a contribution.
- If you obtain a campaign loan from a bank or a recognized lending institution, the amount of the loan is not considered to be a contribution.
Who can make a contribution
You can accept contributions only from individuals who are residents of Ontario. Corporations and trade unions are not permitted to make contributions to candidates.
If your spouse is not a resident of Ontario, they can still make contributions to your campaign. They may not make contributions to any other candidate.
Groups such as clubs, associations or ratepayer’s groups are not eligible to make contributions. The members of these groups may make individual contributions from their personal funds (as long as they are residents of Ontario).
Who cannot make a contribution
The following individuals and organizations are not permitted to make contributions to municipal council and school board campaigns:
- a corporation
- a trade union
- an individual who is not normally a resident in Ontario
- a federal political party, constituency association, or a registered candidate in a federal election
- a provincial political party, constituency association, or a registered candidate or leadership contestant
- a federal or provincial government, a municipality or a school board
When you can receive contributions
You can only accept contributions after the clerk has received your nomination, and you cannot accept contributions after your campaign period has finished. Any contributions received outside the campaign period must be returned to the contributor. If you cannot return the contribution to the contributor, you must turn it over to the clerk.
Contribution limits – contributions from yourself and your spouse
If you are running for municipal council, there is a limit on the total amount that you and your spouse may collectively contribute to your own campaign. The contribution limit is calculated based on the number of electors who are eligible to vote for the office that you are running for. The formula to calculate the limit is:
- for head of council: $7,500 plus $0.20 per eligible elector
- for council member: $5,000 plus $0.20 per eligible elector
There is a cap of $25,000. If the formula results in a number greater than $25,000, the limit will still be $25,000. The clerk will tell you what your self-funding limit is.
All of the contributions that you and your spouse make to your own campaign count towards this limit, including:
- contributions of money
- the value of goods or services that you or your spouse donate to the campaign
- the value of any inventory from the previous election that you use again in this campaign
*This limit does not apply to school board trustee candidates.
Contribution limits – contributions from other people
There is a $1,200 limit that applies to contributions from other individuals. If a person makes more than one contribution (for example, contributes money, contributes goods, and purchases a ticket to a fundraising event), the total value of all the contributions cannot exceed $1,200.
The maximum total amount that a contributor can give to candidates in the same jurisdiction (for example, running for the same council or for the same school board) is $5,000.
You are required to inform every contributor of the contribution limits. An easy way to make sure that this is done is to include the contribution limits on the receipt that you provide for each contribution.
Only a contribution that is $25 or less can be made in cash. All contributions above $25 must be made by cheque, money order or by a method that clearly shows where the funds came from (such as certain debit, credit or electronic transfer transactions).
Contribution receipts
You must issue a receipt for every contribution you receive. The receipt should show who made the contribution, the date and the value. If the contribution was in goods or services, you must determine the value of the goods or services and issue a receipt for the full value.
If you receive a contribution from a joint account, the contribution can only come from one person. You must determine who is making the contribution and issue the receipt to that person.
You are required to list the names and addresses of every contributor who gives more than $100 total to your campaign in your financial statement. You should keep a record of the names and addresses of every contributor, regardless of the value of their contribution, because the same contributor may make multiple contributions that end up totaling more than $100.
Note: Contribution receipts are not tax receipts. Contributions to municipal council and school board campaigns cannot be credited against provincial or federal income taxes.
Returning ineligible contributions
You are required to return any contribution that was made or accepted in contravention of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 as soon as you learn that it was an ineligible contribution. If you cannot return the contribution, you must turn it over to the clerk.
Contributions should be returned or paid to the clerk if the contribution is:
- made outside your campaign period
- from an anonymous source (except for donations of $25 or less at a fundraising event)
- from an ineligible source (someone who doesn’t live in Ontario, a corporation, etc.)
- greater than the individual $1,200 limit or the $5,000 total limit per jurisdiction
- a cash contribution greater than $25
- from funds that do not belong to the contributor who gave them to you
Unused contributions
If your campaign ends with a surplus, you can withdraw the value of contributions that you and your spouse made from the surplus. If you still have a surplus once you have withdrawn your contributions, the remaining surplus must be turned over to the clerk.
You are not permitted to refund eligible contributions made by anyone other than yourself or your spouse.
Contributions to municipal council and school board campaigns are not tax deductible.
Fundraising
Fundraising functions are events or activities held by you or on your behalf for the primary purpose of raising money for your campaign. If you hold an event to promote your campaign and you happen to receive some contributions or ask people to consider contributing to your campaign, this would not qualify as a fundraising event.
Similarly, if you have a sentence in your campaign brochure asking people to make a contribution or giving them information about how to contribute, this would not be a fundraising brochure since its primary purpose is to promote your campaign, not to raise money.
Fundraisers can only be held during your campaign period. You must record the gross income (including ticket revenue and other revenue) and the expenses related to each event and activity on your campaign financial statement.
If you sell tickets to an event, the ticket price is considered to be a contribution to your campaign and you must issue a receipt to each person who purchases tickets. If the ticket price is higher than $25, tickets cannot be paid for in cash.
Campaign income
If you raise funds by selling goods or services for more than fair market value, the difference between the fair market value and the amount paid is considered to be a contribution. If the good or service is sold for $25 or less, the amount paid is considered to be campaign income that is not a contribution.
Campaign expenses
Expenses
Campaign expenses are the costs that you incur (or that a person such as your campaign manager incurs under your direction) during your campaign.
Reminder: the nomination fee is a personal expense rather than a campaign expense. It should not be reported on your campaign financial statement.
Expenses must be paid from your campaign bank account. If you use a credit card to pay for purchases you should make sure that you keep clear records showing that the expense on the credit card was reimbursed from the campaign account.
Any taxes such as HST paid on purchases should be included in the amount of the expense.
You can incur expenses only during your campaign period, except for expenses related to the preparation of an auditor’s report. If you are required to include an auditor’s report with your financial statement, you may incur these expenses after the campaign period has ended. These expenses must also be reported on your financial statement.
Goods and services
Goods or services that are contributed to your campaign are also expenses. They should be treated as if the contributor gave you money and you went out and purchased the goods and services. You must record both the contribution and the expense.
Spending limits
Candidates are subject to two spending limits – a general limit, and a separate limit for expenses relating to parties and expressions of appreciation after voting day.
General spending limit
The general spending limit for your campaign is calculated based on the number of electors who are eligible to vote for the office that you are running for. The formula to calculate the limit is:
- for head of council: $7,500 plus $0.85 per eligible elector
- for council member or trustee: $5,000 plus $0.85 per eligible elector
When you file your nomination, the clerk will give you an estimate of your general spending limit. This estimate will be based on the number of electors in the previous election.
On or before September 30, 2026 the clerk must give you a final general spending limit which is based on the number of electors on the voters’ list for the current election.
If the spending limit estimate that you received when you filed your nomination is higher than the final spending limit you receive in September, the estimate becomes your official spending limit.
While most of your expenses will be subject to the general spending limit, the following expenses are not:
- expenses related to holding a fundraising event or activity
- expenses relating to a recount
- expenses relating to a court action for a controverted election
- expenses relating to a compliance audit
- expenses incurred by a candidate with a disability that are directly related to the candidate’s disability and would not have been incurred if not for the election
- audit and accounting fees
Note: Any materials, events or activities must have fundraising as the primary purpose in order to be exempt from the spending limit. An incidental mention of contributions is not enough to qualify as fundraising.
When the general spending limit applies
Your spending limit covers expenses that you incur between the beginning of your campaign and voting day. Expenses that you incur between the day after voting day and the end of your campaign are not subject to the spending limit.
Note: If you incur an expense before voting day, but don’t get around to paying for it until after voting day, it would still be subject to the spending limit.
Spending limit for parties and expressions of appreciation
The spending limit for expenses related to holding parties and other expressions of appreciation after the close of voting is calculated as 10% of the amount of your general spending limit.
Expenses related to parties and expressions of appreciation are subject to the specific spending limit regardless of whether they are incurred before or after voting day.
Leftover campaign inventory
If you ran in the last municipal council or school board election and you want to reuse leftover goods such as signs or office supplies you must establish the current market value of the goods – what it would cost you to purchase them today. You must record the current market value as an expense.
If you have inventory left at the end of your campaign it becomes your personal property. If you want to store materials such as signs for use in another election, any costs related to storage are personal costs, not campaign expenses.
Note to accountants: The value of all goods must be recorded as an expense regardless of whether the campaign ends with used or unused goods in inventory. Do not deduct the value of unused goods from the campaign expenses, as this will result in the campaign having a surplus on paper that the candidate does not actually have.
Surplus and deficit
If your campaign has a surplus after you have refunded contributions made by yourself or your spouse, you must pay the surplus over to the clerk when you file your financial statement. The surplus will be held in trust, and you can use it if you incur expenses related to a compliance audit. If the surplus is not needed for these expenses it becomes the property of the municipality or the school board.
If your campaign expenses are greater than your campaign income, your campaign will be in deficit.
Note: Ending your campaign with a deficit may result in questions being raised about how expenses were paid for, and whether you contributed more than your self-funding limit by paying outstanding expenses with personal funds.
Campaign financial statement
It is your responsibility as a candidate to file a complete and accurate financial statement on time. The filing deadline is 2 p.m. on the last Friday in March following the election.
If you have a bookkeeper or accountant complete the financial statement for you, you are still responsible for ensuring that it is complete and accurate and filed on time.
Important: If you filed a nomination form, you must file a financial statement. This includes candidates who withdrew their nomination, candidates who were not certified and did not appear on the ballot, and candidates who were acclaimed. If you did not receive any contributions (including contributions from yourself) or incur any expenses, you are only required to fill out the first page of the financial statement and sign it. If you received contributions or incurred any expenses you must complete the relevant parts of the financial statement.
If your campaign contributions (including contributions from yourself) or campaign expenses are greater than $10,000 you must have your financial statement audited and include the auditor’s report when you submit your financial statement to the clerk.
Filing early
You can file your campaign financial statement after you have ended your campaign. If you file your statement early and then discover that there is an error in it, you can submit a corrected statement at any time before the filing deadline of March 30, 2027. Your original statement is deemed to be withdrawn when you file the corrected statement. You cannot withdraw a financial statement without submitting a corrected one.
Applying for an extension
If you think that you will be unable to file your financial statement by the deadline, you may apply before March 25, 2027 to the Superior Court of Justice for an extension. If the court grants the extension, you will receive the refund of your nomination fee if you file by the deadline given to you by the court.
Grace period for filing
If you have not filed your financial statement by the deadline, you may file your financial statement within 30 days after the deadline if you pay the municipality a $500 late filing fee. This grace period ends at 2 p.m. on April 29, 2027. You will not receive a refund of your nomination fee if you file during the 30-day grace period.
If you have not filed your financial statement by the end of the 30-day grace period and you did not apply to the court for an extension prior to the deadline, automatic penalties apply:
- you will forfeit your elected office (if you won the election)
- you will be ineligible to run for office or be appointed to fill a vacancy until after the 2030 election
If you did not file your financial statement by the end of the grace period, you may still file it for the purposes of having your finances on the record. The clerk will accept the financial statement and make it available to the public. The penalties will still apply.
Separate statement for each office
If you filed a nomination and then changed your mind and filed a nomination for a different office, you may be required to file a separate financial statement for each campaign.
Extended campaigns
Your campaign period ends on December 31, 2026. However, if your campaign has a deficit, you can extend your campaign in order to do some additional fundraising. If you want to extend your campaign, you must notify the clerk on or before December 31, 2026 using the Notice of Extension of Campaign Period form (Form 6).
Your campaign may be extended until June 30, 2027.
If you extend your campaign you must file two financial statements:
- a financial statement reflecting your campaign until December 31, 2026 (due March 31, 2027)
- a supplementary financial statement that includes the information from your initial statement and adds financial information from your extended campaign
The supplementary financial statement must be filed with the clerk by 2 p.m. on Friday, September 24, 2027.
Auditor’s report
You must have an auditor review your financial statement and provide a report if any of the following are true:
- your campaign expenses exceed $10,000
- the contributions you received (including contributions from yourself) exceed a total of $10,000
- both your expenses and your contributions exceed $10,000 each
The auditor’s report must be prepared by an auditor licensed under the Public Accounting Act, 2004. Before you hire someone to prepare the report, ensure that they are properly qualified.
You can incur expenses relating to the auditor’s report after December 31, 2026. These expenses do not count toward your spending limit. Include these expenses on the financial statement that you are filing.
