The campaign may be over, but your journey is not yet complete. Whether you were successful in being elected as a member of Parliament or not, there are a few things related to political financing that you’ll need to do before you can close your campaign. Remember: There are penalties associated with failing to file your Keyword: electoral campaign returns, and with filing them late.
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Your Keyword: official agent is responsible for most of the financial reporting. As a candidate, although you are not directly responsible for financial reporting, you may be held accountable for filing offences. It is therefore important for you to be involved in the reporting process.
For a complete list of reporting responsibilities and deadlines, see chapter 15 of the Political Financing Handbook for Candidates and Official Agents.
Key responsibilities for candidates include submitting:
Electoral Campaign Returns can be created using the Electronic Financial Return (EFR) software. Check out the EFR training videos available through Elections Canada.
Check out the latest version of the EFR or email EFR-RFE@elections.ca for information on downloading the software.
Make sure your official agent knows where to find information about financial reporting, and know what your responsibilities are as a candidate.
We want to know about your journey to running in a federal election, and we think other Canadians will want to know, too! Don't forget to share your experience with others through social media, and to include us in your posts:
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy asked past and current candidates to share their advice on running in a federal election.
What advice do you have for those thinking of running?
What was the most rewarding thing about being or supporting a candidate? (EC Commissioned Resource)
Once Elections Canada has confirmed that all of your reporting is done, your campaign is officially closed. Congratulations, you've arrived! Inspire others with your journey to running in a federal election—share your story!