Campaign Finances

Once the nomination paper has been accepted, open a bank account in the name of the campaign in order to accept contributions and to incur expenses.

You may accept contributions or incur campaign expenses during your campaign period only. Your campaign period begins on the day the clerk receives your nomination. 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 (this also applies to candidates who die during the campaign); or
• were not certified as a candidate and your name did not appear on the ballot, your campaign ends on nomination day (August 21, 2026)

All candidates (including acclaimed or withdrawn candidates) are required to file a financial statement using the prescribed form. It is good practice for campaigns to review the Financial Statement form prior to incurring any contributions or expenses, and arrange their accounts, spreadsheets, and ledgers according to the various categories that are required to be reported on the form.

Candidates, whose campaign contributions and total expenses exceed $10,000, are required to file an auditor's report with their financial statement that has been prepared by an auditor licenced under the Public Accounting Act.

Financial statements are due in the Clerk's Office at Victoria Hall (55 King Street, West, Cobourg, ON) between January 4, 2027 and 2:00pm on March 30, 2027.

Complete and signed financial statements may be filed electronically to votecobourg@cobourg.ca during the prescribed filing period. The date of the electronic submission shall be the official date received. However, the original identical paper copy of the financial statements must be delivered to the Clerk’s Office within ten (10) days following the electronic submission for the electronic submission to be considered valid.

There is a thirty (30) day grace period for late filings of Financial Statements until April 29, 2027 at 2:00pm, however there is a late filing fee of $500. The $500 late filing fee is the property of the municipality. 

• Contribution limit has been raised from $750 to $1,200 for individual donations to any one candidate. The $5,000 limit for donations to all candidates remains the same.
• A candidate for an office on Municipal Council and his or her spouse shall not make contributions to the candidate’s own election campaign that, combined, for the office of Mayor exceed an amount equal to $7,500 plus 20 cents for each elector entitled to vote for the office or for the office of Councillor exceed and amount equal to $5,000 plus 20 cents per elector entitled to vote for the office.
• A candidate who does not accept any contributions of money, or incur any expenses, is not required to open a bank account.
• Every candidate will be entitled to a refund of the nomination fee if they file their campaign financial statement and, if needed, the auditor’s report by the deadline.
• There is a 30-day grace period for candidates who miss the deadline to file a financial statement and auditor’s report, provided that the candidate or third party advertiser pays a $500 late filing fee to the municipality.
• If a candidate or has filed their financial statement before the deadline and then discovers an error, they can file a corrected financial statement and auditor’s report up until the filing deadline.
• If an eligible voter believes that a candidate has contravened an election campaign finance rule, the voter may apply for a compliance audit. Compliance Audit Committees will be required to provide brief written reasons for their decisions.
• There will be a new process regarding contribution limits. The clerk who conducted the election is responsible for reviewing the contributions that are reported on the financial statements to council and trustee candidates. If a contributor appears to have given more than the contribution limits allow, the clerk will report this to the Compliance Audit Committee. The Compliance Audit Committee will then decide whether to commence a legal proceeding against the contributor.

Sections 91 and 92 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 set out penalties with respect to violations under the Act as follows:

91. (1) If a person is convicted of a corrupt practice under this Act, or of an offence under the Criminal Code (Canada) in connection with an act or omission that relates to an election to which this Act applies, then, in addition to any other penalty provided for in this Act,

1. Any office to which the person was elected is forfeited and becomes vacant; and
2. The person is ineligible to be nominated for, or elected or appointed to, any office until the next two regular elections have taken place after the election to which the offence relates.

Exception:

(2) However, if the presiding judge finds that the person committed the corrupt practice or offence under the Criminal Code (Canada) without any intent of causing or contributing to a false outcome of the election, clause (1) (b) does not apply.

92.(3) If the expenses incurred by or on behalf of a candidate exceed the amount determined for the office under section 76, the candidate is liable to a fine equal to the excess, in addition to any other penalty provided for in this Act.

92.(5) A candidate is guilty of an offence and, on conviction, in addition to any other penalty that may be imposed under this Act, is subject to the penalties described in subsection 80(2) if he or she,

1. Files a document under section 78 or 79.1 that is incorrect or otherwise does not comply with that section; or
2. Incurs expenses that exceed what is permitted under section 76

The entire Financial Report is considered a public document. These documents may be inspected by any person upon request at the Office of the Clerk during normal office hours, and are also available online via the Towns municipal website. Any person may make extracts from the documents and is entitled to copies of the documents upon payment for their preparation, at such rates as the Clerk may determine. Clerks are required to make the documents available electronically, at no cost to the requester.

All financial reports are posted on the Towns municipal website. This includes a listing of the names and address of all contributors. You may wish to consider advising contributors that their personal information will be public and displayed on the Town’s web site after the election.  The information remains on the website until after the next municipal election.

Candidates wishing to extend their campaign period beyond December 31, 2026 (allowing you to continue making expenses and receiving contributions up until June 30, 2027, should have notified the Town Clerk in writing (on prescribed Form 6) advising of your request, on or before 4:30pm, December 31, 2026.

 Candidates who have done this must file two financial statements:

• The initial filing (Form 4), which details all campaign finances from the day the nomination was filed until December 31, 2026 (due by 2:00pm on March 30, 2027).
• The supplementary filing (Form 5), which details all campaign finances from the day the nomination was filed until June 30, 2027 (due by 2:00pm on September 24, 2027).

On or before March 30, 2027, a candidate may apply to the Superior Court of Justice to extend the time for filing a financial statement. If the court is satisfied there are mitigating circumstances justifying a later date for filing the document. The court may grant an extension for the minimum period of time necessary to enable the candidate to file the document, but the court shall not grant an extension of more than 90 days. If a candidate makes an application to the Court, the candidate shall notify the Town Clerk in writing before 2 p.m. on the last day for filing a financial statement (March 30, 2027).

Candidates may file after the March 30, 2027, 2:00pm deadline up until April 29, 2027 at 2:00pm, if their Financial Statement is accompanied by a $500 fee to avoid penalties under the Municipal Elections Act.