Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest By-Election: Become a Third Party Advertiser

About Third Party Advertising

A third party advertiser is a person, corporation or trade union intending to spend money between September 7, 2023 and election day, on advertisements or other materials that support, promote or oppose a candidate in the Ward 20 Scarborough-Southwest by-election, and must register with the City Clerk.

Third party advertiser registration must be certified by the City Clerk before they can accept any contributions or spend any money on advertising.

What Isn’t Third Party Advertising

• Advertisements by or under the direction of a candidate
• Issues-based advertising during the election period
• Advertising that does not cost money to post or broadcast, such as comments made on social media
• Messages distributed by:
  • An individual to their employees
  • A corporation to its shareholders, directors, members or employees
  • A trade union to its members or employees

Rules for Third Party Advertising

If a person, corporation, or trade union wishes to spend money on advertisements that promote, support, or oppose a candidate in the 2023 by-election for Councillor, Ward 20 – Scarborough-Southwest, they must first file a Notice of Registration with the City Clerk.

A third party advertiser cannot raise or spend money on their campaign until their registration has been certified by the City Clerk.

Candidate Involvement in Third Party Advertising

Third party advertising must be done independently of candidates, who are not able to direct a third party advertiser. If a candidate wishes to purchase or direct their own election campaign advertising, they must follow rules under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996  and identify themselves on their advertisements.

Third Party Advertising Complaints

If you believe that a third party advertiser has contravened the Municipal Elections Act , please complete the Third Party Advertiser Complaint Form  and send the complaint to thirdpartyinfo@toronto.ca.

Eligibility

You are eligible to register as a third party advertiser if you are:

• An individual who is normally a resident in Ontario
• A corporation that conducts business in Ontario
• A trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario

You are not eligible to register as a third party advertiser if you are:

• A candidate whose nomination has been filed under section 33 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996
• A federal political party registered under the Canada Elections Act (Canada) or any federal constituency association or registered candidate at a federal election endorsed by that party
• A provincial political party, constituency association, registered candidate or leadership contestant registered under the Election Finances Act
• The Crown in right of Canada or Ontario, a municipality or local board
• A group, association or business that is not a corporation

A registered third party advertiser who failed to file the necessary financial statement or exceeded any of the spending limits in the last municipal election or by-election or failed to provide their surplus to the Clerk in the last municipal election or by-election.

Registering as a Third Party Advertiser

To become a third party advertiser, you must file a Notice of Registration  in person with the City Clerk. The third party advertiser registration period is September 7, 2023 to November 29, 2023.

Notices of Registration can be filed Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays) at City Hall, Toronto Elections Office, 100 Queen St West (“Permit Alley”).

The Notice of Registration must be certified by the City Clerk before any money can be raised or spent on advertising. There is no fee required to register as a third party advertiser.

Documents Required at the Time of Filing

Filing as an individual registrant:

• Completed Notice of Registration form
• Acceptable identification showing your name, address with your Ontario residence and signature

Filing as an agent on behalf of an individual registrant:

• Completed Notice of Registration form
• A copy of the individual registrant’s acceptable identification
• Acceptable identification showing your name and signature

Filing as the official representative of a corporation or trade union registrant:

• Completed Notice of Registration form
• A board resolution from the corporation or trade union authorizing you to act on behalf of the corporation or trade union
• Acceptable identification with your name and signature

Acceptable Identification for Third Party Advertisers

Filing as an Individual Registrant

You must present original acceptable identification (ID) showing your name, qualifying Ontario address and signature. This can be one piece of identification or a combination of two pieces of ID.

One piece of ID showing name, qualifying Toronto address and signature:

• Ontario driver’s licence
• Ontario Health Card (photo card with address)
• Ontario motor vehicle permit (plate portion)
• Cancelled personalized cheque
• Mortgage, lease or rental agreement
• Insurance policy
• Loan or financial agreement with a financial institution
• Document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
• Any other document from the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency of such a government
• Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)

OR

Two pieces of ID:

First piece of ID showing name and signature:

• Ontario driver’s licence
• Ontario Health Card
• Ontario motor vehicle permit (plate portion)
• Canadian passport
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Certificate of Indian Status
• Veterans Affairs Canada Health Card
• Social Insurance Number Card
• Old Age Security Card
• Credit card
• Debit card
• Employee Identification card
• Student Identification card issued by a post-secondary institution
• Union Identification card or professional licence card
• Cancelled personalized cheque
• Mortgage, lease or rental agreement for property in Ontario
• Insurance policy
• Document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
• Any other document issued by the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency of such a government
• Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)

Second piece of ID showing name and qualifying Toronto address:

• Ontario motor vehicle permit (vehicle portion)
• Income tax assessment notice
• Child Tax Benefit Statement
• Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid T4E
• Statement of Old Age Security T4A (OAS)
• Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits T4A (P)
• Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions
• Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Works
• Statement of Direct Deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Statement of Benefits T5007
• Property tax assessment
• Insurance statement
• Mortgage, lease or rental statement for property in Ontario
• Credit card, bank account, RRSP, RRIF, RHOSP or T5 statement
• CNIB Card or a card from another registered charitable organization which provides services to persons with disabilities
• Hospital card or record
• Document showing campus residence issued by the office or officials responsible for student residence at a post-secondary institution
• Utility bill for hydro, water, gas, telephone or cable TV or a bill from a  public utilities commission
• Cheque stub, T4 or pay receipt issued by an employer
• Transcript or report card from a post-secondary school
• Document issued or certified by a court in Ontario
• Any other document issued by the government of Canada, Ontario or a municipality in Ontario or from an agency of such a government
• Any document from a Band Council in Ontario established under the Indian Act (Canada)

Filing as an Agent of an Individual Registrant or as the Official Representative of a Corporation or Trade Union Registrant

You must present original acceptable identification showing your name and signature:

• Any of the documentation listed above showing name and signature
• Any piece of government-issued identification showing name and signature

Withdrawing a Registration

If you no longer wish to be a registered third party advertiser for the  Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest by-election, you must file a Withdrawal of Registration form in-person on or before 4:30 p.m. on November 29, 2023.

Public Documents

Registration papers, and other public documents that are filed with the City Clerk can only be viewed at the Toronto Elections Office, City Hall (100 Queen St., West) during regular business hours (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays).

Third Party Advertisers in Default

The third party advertisers listed below are in default of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. This means that they cannot register as third party advertisers until after the next general election.

*Candidates and third party advertisers that filed within the 30 day grace period and paid the $500 late filing fee remain in default; however, per section 88.23(9) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, the penalties associated with the default do not apply.

Last Name/Single Name	First Name	Reason for Default
Taffe	Bobetha	Did not file required initial financial statement