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For Third Parties

A third party advertiser (third party) is an individual, corporation or group that promotes or opposes the election of a candidate through election advertising during the 2025 Election advertising period, Oct. 31, 2024 to close of voting stations on Election Day, Oct. 20, 2025.  

A third party is required to register with the Municipality if they intend to incur expenses or accept contributions of at least $1000. If a third party plans to advertise in more than 10 jurisdictions, they must register with the Provincial Registrar appointed by Municipal Affairs and not with the Municipality.  

The Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) Part 8 regulates third party advertising during the election advertising period and third party advertisers are required to know who is eligible to contribute, registration requirements and all reporting requirements to the Municipality. 

An Election third party advertiser can only advertise during an election advertising period. 

For the complete guide on Third party advertising guidelines for local elections in Alberta please visit https://open.alberta.ca/publications/third-party-advertising-guidelines-local-elections-alberta

Rules for Third-Party Advertisers 

Third-Party Advertisers must comply with Part 8 of the Local Authorities Election Act and the advertising guidelines for local elections established by Municipal Affairs. 

Third-party advertisers cannot

  • Be affiliated with any candidates

  • Collude or cooperate with candidates 

  • Be a registered charity or publicly funded body, including health agency, post-secondary institutions and municipality 

Financing 

There are 2 required deadlines for registered third-party advertisers to file a report on advertising contributions and election advertising returns: 

  • An interim advertising return is due September 30, 2025. This return covers the period from May 1, 2025, to July 31, 2025. 

  • A final 2025 election advertising report is due March 1, 2026, and covers the entire 2025 election advertising period. 

All third-party advertisers are required to submit information through a completed Third Party Advertising Contribution Statement (Form 28): 

  • A financial statement 

  • Advertising expense limit report 

  • A detailed list of contributions above $250 

  • An itemized list of all relevant advertisements 

  • Any related supporting information and documents 

All statements must be signed by the third-party advertiser’s registered Chief Financial Officer and must disclose all donations, whether financial or in-kind service or item: 

  • Total contributions of $250 or less 

  • Total contributions over $250 

  • Names and addresses of contributors of more than $250 

Completed forms can be submitted by email to elections@rmwb.ca or in person to RMWB Elections, 9909 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2K4.  

Disclosure of Third-Party Advertisers will be publicly available and published on the RMWB website.  Addresses of contributors will be removed.

Penalties for Not Filing 

Third-party advertisers who fail to file a disclosure statement on time will pay a late filing fee of $500 to RMWB Elections. Failure to pay this fee or continued non-compliance with the filing requirements may lead to additional penalties.

Differences between campaign contributions and third-party advertising contributions: 

These differences are defined by the Local Authorities Election Act: 

  • A campaign contribution is made directly to nominated candidate’s campaign by an individual, a group or corporation who lives and operates in Alberta.

  • Advertising contributions are made directly to a third-party advertiser by individuals, groups or corporations who reside or operate in Alberta. 

This information is intended to assist third party advertisers for the 2025 municipal election, has no legislative sanction and is not inclusive of all the information related to municipal elections, election procedures and election legislation. It is not a substitute for legal advice. It is recommended that you obtain a copy of the Local Authorities Election Act and other relevant legislation.   

It is the third party’s responsibility to read and understand all legislation concerning elections and to seek legal and accounting advice from professionals or to contact Municipal Affairs regarding requirements under provincial legislation. 

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