During election periods (from when the election officially starts to election day) there are additional regulations for election advertising that must be followed by all third parties, e.g. anyone who is not a candidate or registered political party. These regulations only apply during the election period. 

There are certain election advertising activities that are regulated during the election period, e.g.:

• Election surveys where voters are polled to better understand how they feel. 
• Issues advertising that takes a position on an issue that is clearly associated with a party or candidate.

Projects should consult with their Project Specialist to determine if their planned election advertising activities are regulated or not. If the activity is regulated, Projects must follow an additional approval process. If the activity is not regulated, Projects can follow the normal approval process. 

Projects may be required to register with an election body such as Elections Canada before engaging in regulated election advertising. The threshold for registration is based on the total value (both hard costs and donated time) of the planned advertising. Projects should consult with their Project Specialist to calculate the expected costs of their regulated election advertising activities.

Projects must submit all elections advertising materials to MakeWay for review. This is critical because there is increased scrutiny of activities during an election period. Projects should allow a time frame of 3 to 4 business days for MakeWay to review materials prior to releasing them to the public.