Become a candidate

• How to become a candidate
• Independent candidate
• Party candidate
• Information pamphlet

How to become a candidate

An elector who wishes to run as a candidate of a political party or as an independent candidate must obtain a nomination form at the office of the returning officer of the electoral division in which he wishes to run for election.

The nomination paper must include, among other things, the surname and given name, signature and domiciliary address of at least 100 electors entered on the list of electors of the electoral division in which the elector wishes to run for election. It should be pointed out that the signatures are checked only on the basis of the list of electors produced at the time the writ is issued.

The period during which the future candidate can submit to the returning officer his or her duly completed nomination papers together with appropriate documents, starts at 2 p.m. on May 11, 2012 and ends at 2 p.m. on May 26, 2012.

Independent candidate

The independent candidate must obtain an authorization to solicit or collect contributions, incur election expenses or contract loans.

This authorization may be granted by the Chief Electoral Officer to every elector who undertakes to run as an independent candidate, from the expiry of a period of three years after the reception of the list of candidates declared elected at the last general election or, in the case of a by-election, from the day on which the position becomes vacant.

The authorization may also be granted by the returning officer in the case where an application for authorization is made during the election period.

A candidate who wishes to obtain an authorization must provide the following information:

• his name, the address of his domicile and his telephone number;
• the name of the electoral division in which he is a candidate;
• the address to which must be sent the communications that are intended for him;
• the address where are kept the books and accounts related to the funds that he will obtain as a candidate, the expenses that he will incur and the loans that he will contract;
• the name, address and telephone number of his official representative.

The independent candidate must make sure that the information concerning him is updated in the Registre des entités politiques autorisées du Québec (Register of authorized political entities of Québec) (REPAQ).

The independent candidate can:

• solicit or collect contributions if he is expressly authorized to do so by his official representative;
• participate financially in his campaign by making a contribution to his official representative. However, this contribution must be made while respecting the annual limit ($1,000 per entity) and his official representative must complete a contribution slip and have the declaration by the elector signed by the candidate;
• lend money for his campaign or stand surety for it.

He cannot:

• contract loans: only the official representative can do so;
• incur election expenses: only his official agent can do so. However, he may incur "personal" expenses;
• pay an election expense himself: only his official agent can do so.

The official representative of an authorized independent candidate must be the same person as the official agent. Each of these two roles is of capital importance in a candidate’s election campaign.

The role of the official representative consists of:

• sollicite and collect contributions;
• ensuring that the contribution slips are completed and that a declaration has been signed by every donor;
• ensuring the compliance of contributions;
• cashing the revenue of activities collected during political activities and demonstrations;
• contracting loans;
• paying on an annual basis the interest on the loans;
• filing the financial report and, where applicable, the additional financial report.

As for the official agent, his role consists of:

• incurring or authorizing election expenses;
• authorizing an advertising agency to incur or order election expenses;
• making sure that every payment of election expenses is justified by an invoice and that the regular price is paid;
• making sure that all publicity bears his name and title of official agent;
• making sure that the limit on election expenses is respected;
• assuming all responsibilities regarding all election expenses;
• filing the return of election expenses.

To apply for authorization, you must complete the appropriate form and transmit it to the Directeur général des élections du Québec or, during an election period, to the returning officer of your electoral division.

The authorization granted to an independent candidate who was not elected expires on December 31st of the year following the election year.

The authorization of an independent candidate who was elected expires when the candidate ceases to sit in the National Assembly as an independent Member, unless he or she runs again as an independent candidate.

Party candidate

The candidate of an authorized political party is a person whose nomination paper was accepted in this capacity by the returning officer. The nomination papers must be accompanied by a letter from the leader of the party acknowledging this person as the party’s candidate. He cannot solicit or collect contributions, unless he has been expressly authorized to do so by the official representative of his party or of the party authority. Similarly, he cannot contract loans or incur expenses.

For a party candidate, it is his official agent who is responsible for :

• authorizing a publicity agency to incur or order election expenses;
• incurring or authorizing all election expenses;
• making sure that every payment of election expenses is supported by an invoice and that the going market price is paid;
• ensuring that all advertising contains his name and his title of official agent and, if possible, the name and address of the printer or manufacturer;
• making sure that the limit on election expenses is respected;
• filing the return of election expenses.

In fact, the official agent must assume full responsibility for all election expenses and file the return of election expenses.

Information pamphlet

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