1 (1) In this Act, “broadcasting undertaking” means a broadcasting undertaking as defined in section 2 of the Broadcasting Act
(Canada); (“entreprise de radiodiffusion”) “by-election” means an election other than a general election; (“élection partielle”) “campaign expense” means any expense incurred for goods or services in relation to an election by or on behalf of a political party, constituency association or candidate registered under this Act for use in whole or in part during the period commencing with the issue of a writ for an election and terminating on polling day, other than, (a)  expenses incurred by a candidate in seeking nomination in accordance with the Election Act, (b)  a candidate’s deposit as required under the Election Act, (b.1)  expenses that are incurred by a candidate with disabilities and that are directly related to the candidate’s disabilities, (c)  auditor’s and accounting fees, (d)  interest on loans authorized under section 35, (e)  expenses incurred in holding a fund-raising activity referred to in section 23, (f)  expenses incurred for “victory parties” held and “thank you” advertising published after polling day, (g)  expenses incurred in relation to the administration of the political party or constituency association, (h)  transfers authorized under section 27, (i)  fees paid in respect of maintaining a credit card facility, (j)  expenses relating to a recount in respect of the election, (k)  child care expenses of a candidate and other expenses not of partisan value that are set out in guidelines provided by the Chief Electoral Officer under clause 2 (1) (j), (l)  expenses relating to research and polling, and (m)  travel expenses, but shall be deemed to include the value of any goods held in inventory or any fees or expenses for services for any candidate or political party, and any contribution of goods and services to the political party, constituency association or candidate registered under this Act, for use in whole or in part during the period commencing with the issue of the writ for an election and terminating on polling day; (“dépenses liées à la campagne électorale”) “campaign period” means the period commencing with the issue of a writ for an election and terminating three months after polling day; (“période de campagne électorale”) “candidate” means a person who has received a certificate under section 27.1 or 27.2 of the Election Act as a candidate in an electoral district; (“candidat”) “Chief Electoral Officer” means the Chief Electoral Officer appointed under subsection 3.1 (2) of the Election Act; (“directeur général des élections”) “constituency association”, in an electoral district, means the association or organization endorsed by a registered party or an independent member as the official association of that party or that member in the electoral district; (“association de circonscription”) “contribution” does not include, (a)  any goods produced, or services performed, for any political party, constituency association, nomination contestant, candidate or leadership contestant by voluntary labour, and (b)  any money, goods or services solicited by or donated to a political party, constituency association, nomination contestant, candidate or leadership contestant for purposes other than the purposes set forth in subsections 10 (1), 11 (1), 12.1 (1), 13 (2) and 14 (1), respectively; (“contribution”) “election” means an election to elect a member or members to serve in the Assembly; (“élection”) “financial institution” means, (a)  a bank or authorized foreign bank within the meaning of section 2 of the Bank Act (Canada), (b)  a corporation registered under the Loan and Trust Corporations Act, (c)  a credit union within the meaning of the Credit Unions and Caisses Populaires Act, 2020, or (d)  a retail association as defined under the Cooperative Credit Associations Act (Canada); (“institution financière”) “general election” means an election in respect of which election writs are issued for all electoral districts; (“élection générale”) “independent member” means a member of the Assembly who is not affiliated with a registered party in the Assembly; (“député indépendant”) “leadership contest period” means the period commencing with the date of the official call for a leadership contest as set forth in the statement filed by a registered party under subsection 14 (2) and terminating 14 months after the date of the leadership vote; (“période de campagne de désignation du chef d’un parti”) “leadership contestant” means a person seeking election as leader of a registered party at a leadership contest called by that party for the purpose; (“candidat à la direction d’un parti”) “leadership vote” means the date on which polling takes place to elect a leader of a registered party at a leadership contest; (“scrutin tenu en vue de désigner le chef d’un parti”) “nomination contestant” means a person seeking endorsement as an official party candidate for an electoral district; (“candidat à l’investiture”) “nomination contest period” means, with respect to a nomination contestant, the period that begins when the contestant first receives or spends funds for the purpose of achieving the endorsement, and ends three months after the candidate for the electoral district is selected; (“période de course à l’investiture”) “person” includes a nomination contestant, a candidate and a leadership contestant, but does not include a corporation or trade union; (“personne”) “political advertising” means advertising in any broadcast, print, electronic or other medium with the purpose of promoting or opposing any registered party or its leader or the election of a registered candidate and includes advertising that takes a position on an issue that can reasonably be regarded as closely associated with a registered party or its leader or a registered candidate and “political advertisement” has a corresponding meaning, but for greater certainty does not include, (a)  the transmission to the public of an editorial, a debate, a speech, an interview, a column, a letter, a commentary or news, (b)  the distribution of a book, or the promotion of the sale of a book, for no less than its commercial value, if the book was planned to be made available to the public regardless of whether there was to be an election, (c)  communication in any form directly by a person, group, corporation or trade union to their members, employees or shareholders, as the case may be, (d)  the transmission by an individual, on a non-commercial basis on the Internet, of his or her personal political views, or (e)  the making of telephone calls to electors only to encourage them to vote; (“publicité politique”, “annonce politique”) “polling day” means the day fixed under the Election Act for holding the poll at an election; (“jour du scrutin”) “pre-certified candidate” means an individual whose nomination paper has been accepted for filing and who has been issued a certificate by the Chief Electoral Officer under subsection 27.2 (5) of the Election Act before the date a writ of election is issued; (“candidat doté d’une attestation préalable”) “registered candidate” means a candidate registered under this Act; (“candidat inscrit”) “registered constituency association” means a constituency association registered under this Act; (“association de circonscription inscrite”) “registered leadership contestant” means a leadership contestant registered under this Act; (“candidat à la direction inscrit”) “registered nomination contestant” means a nomination contestant registered under this Act; (“candidat à l’investiture inscrit”) “registered party” means a political party registered under this Act; (“parti inscrit”) “third party” means a person or entity, other than a registered candidate, registered constituency association or registered party; (“tiers”) “trade union” means a trade union as defined by the Labour Relations Act or the Canada Labour Code that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario to whom those Acts apply and includes any central, regional or district labour council located in Ontario; (“syndicat”) “voluntary labour” means any service provided free of charge by a person outside their working hours, but does not include such a service provided by a person who is self-employed if the service is one that is normally charged for by that person; (“travail bénévole”) “year” means calendar year. (“année”)  R.S.O. 1990, c. E.7, s. 1 (1); 1998, c. 9, s. 51 (1-9); 2001, c. 32, s. 25; 2007, c. 15, ss. 29, 40 (1); 2007, c. 7, Sched. 7, s. 186 (1); 2016, c. 22, s 1 (1-6), 58; 2016, c. 33, s. 35 (1); 2017, c. 18, s. 4 (1); 2018, c. 17, Sched. 12, s. 7; 2020, c. 36, Sched. 7, s. 308; 2021, c. 5, Sched. 2, s. 1. Associated corporations (2) Where a corporation is associated with another corporation under section 256 of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and where one or both of those associated corporations does not or do not carry on an active business as that expression is defined in paragraph 125 (7) (a) of the Income Tax Act
(Canada), the two associated corporations shall be considered as a single corporation for the purposes of this Act.  R.S.O. 1990, c. E.7, s. 1 (2); 2004, c. 16, Sched. D, Table. Application re nomination contestants (3) The requirements of this Act respecting nomination contests, nomination contestants and registered nomination contestants apply on and after July 1, 2017. 2016, c. 22, s. 1 (7). (4) Repealed: 2017, c. 18, s. 4 (3). Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y) 1998, c. 9, s. 51 (1-11) - 01/01/1999; 1998, c. 9, s. 79 - 01/01/1999 2001, c. 32, s. 25
- 30/09/2002 2004, c. 16, Sched. D, Table - 01/01/2004 2007, c. 7, Sched. 7, s. 186 (1) - 01/10/2009; 2007, c. 15, s. 29
- 04/06/2007; 2007, c. 15, s. 40 (1)
- 04/06/2007 2016, c. 22, s. 1 (1-8)
- 01/01/2017; 2016, c. 22, s 58
- 01/01/2017; 2016, c. 33, s. 35 (1)
- 01/07/2017 2017, c. 18, s. 4 (1, 2)
- 25/10/2017; 2017, c. 18, s. 4 (3)
- 30/06/2018 2018, c. 17, Sched. 12, s. 7 - 06/12/2018 2020, c. 36, Sched. 7, s. 308 - 01/03/2022 2021, c. 5, Sched. 2, s. 1 (1, 2) - 19/04/2021 Powers and Duties of Chief Electoral Officer Powers and duties, publication, tabling