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A Third Party Advertiser (TPA) is a registered individual, corporation or group who promotes or opposes a municipal or school board candidate through election advertising.
There are a number of important regulations regarding the disclosure of election advertising contributions and expenses that registered Third Party Advertisers must adhere to in order to satisfy their legislated obligations. These are described in the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA), in particular Part 8: Third Party Advertising.
Third Party Advertisers who are registered with the City of Edmonton are required by Sections 180(2) and 182(1) of the LAEA to file and an accompanying election advertising return with Edmonton Elections by March 1, 2022.
Third Party Advertisers are encouraged to refer to sections 180 and 182 of the LAEA to review the complete extent of their legislated obligation.
Completed documentation can be submitted to Edmonton Elections via:
As per section 184 of the LAEA, registered TPAs who do not file a completed and signed Form 28 by the legislated deadline must pay a late filing fee of $500.
Registered TPAs must file a completed , signed by the Chief Financial Officer named upon registration, that discloses:
The information required in the election advertising return is detailed in section 182 (1.1) of the LAEA.
Third Party Advertisers must provide:
The LAEA does not specify how Third Party Advertisers should format their election advertising return.
According to section 182(2) of the LAEA, TPAs who did not incur election advertising expenses must disclose that as part of their election advertising return.
The regulations regarding surplus funds are set out in section 183 of the LAEA.
TPAs may retain these funds in the designated election advertising account to be used in a subsequent election advertising period.
TPAs may also:
Edmonton Elections publishes a list of registered TPAs. This decision aligns with our Edmonton Elections policy.
| Name of Third Party Advertiser ▲ | Name of Primary Contact | Name of Chief Financial Officer | Telephone Number of the Primary Contact | Website | Date of Registration | Status of Registration | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569 | Steve Bradshaw | Damir Begovic | 780-426-6136 | https://atu569.ca | Oct 15, 2021 | Registered | Disclosure |
| Climate Justice Edmonton | Alison McIntosh | Robert Lees-Miller | 780-652-2250 | www.climatejusticeedmonton.com | Sep 14, 2021 | Registered | Amended Disclosure |
A way for those outside of a candidate’s campaign to express support or opposition to a candidate where there is an intent to incur expenses or contributions of at least $1,000.
Third party advertising does not include candidates and it is separate from any candidate’s campaign. Any advertisements or materials that are made and distributed by a candidate or under a candidate’s direction are part of the candidate’s campaign.
An individual, corporation or group who promotes or opposes a municipal or school board candidate through election advertising.
The following are ineligible to register as a TPA:
TPAs must register with Edmonton Elections if they spend or receive contributions of $1,000 or more. If a TPA plans to advertise in more than 10 jurisdictions, they may register with the Provincial Registrar at Municipal Affairs, and not in each individual jurisdiction.
If the cumulative total of incurred or planned expenses or contributions is over $1,000, the TPA must register.
If a candidate is identifiable, the TPA has to register. A TPA does not have to register if they are opposing or supporting an issue like free transit or affordable housing.
The How-to-Guide walks prospective TPAs through the process of filing Form 27: Registration of a Third Party.
i. Register with Edmonton Elections or the Provincial Registrar
ii.Learn about their responsibilities as outlined in Part 8 of the LAEA
Please seek legal advice or contact Edmonton Elections. Edmonton Elections might defer your question to Municipal Affairs or the Elections Commissioner.
TPA election advertising must be in compliance with Section 179 of the LAEA, which outlines TPAs responsibilities to clearly include details about who they are and how they can be contacted. If this is not the case, Edmonton Elections will contact the TPA and ask them to remove or discontinue the message.
No. Political action committees or PACs are organizations in the U.S. that pool contributions from members and donate to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation. PACs are not applicable in our jurisdiction.
There are distinct differences. All are listed in the LAEA.
i. Individuals can contribute up to $5,000 in total to a candidate’s campaign
ii. Eligible individuals, corporations or groups can contribute up to $30,000 to a registered TPA.
As a reminder, candidates should work independently of TPAs. Please contact Edmonton Elections if you have any questions about TPAs. As a neutral, non-partisan organization our goal is to provide you with information and answer your questions.
Edmonton Elections is responsible for ensuring TPAs have their contact information in their advertising. As always, you are also welcome to seek legal advice or contact us. The LAEA dictates when jurisdictions step in.
Candidates cannot collude with TPAs to circumvent contribution limits. Edmonton Elections recommends you seek independent legal advice before engaging with TPAs.
A prospective TPA must meet all the eligibility requirements and follow each step of the registration process. Refer to the How to guide | Registration process for prospective Third Party Advertisers for more information.
A TPA may not register under a name that:
No, this is the first time Edmonton Elections will publish a Third Party Registry. This is due to the recent changes in the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) that formalize the role of TPAs in municipal and school board elections.
No, only registered TPAs can accept contributions.
Registered charities cannot contribute to TPAs.
Eligible individuals, corporations or groups can contribute up to $30,000 to a registered TPA.
No, there are no limits to how much a third party advertiser can spend.
Edmonton Elections may escalate a complaint to the Election Commissioner who may conduct their own investigation to determine if there was an offence. An investigation is only conducted if there is a breach in the LAEA such as:
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| elections@edmonton.ca | |
| Phone | 780-496-8008 |