Summary#

Bill C-65 (Electoral Participation Act) changes the Canada Elections Act to make voting easier, tighten rules on foreign influence and misinformation, modernize special ballots, and set stricter privacy rules for political parties. It also strengthens enforcement by the Commissioner of Canada Elections and requires studies on future reforms like a three-day polling period.

• Adds two more days of advance voting (6 days total) and creates flexible voting options for remote areas and long-term care homes (Clauses 21, 29, 31–33).
• Modernizes special ballots: electronic applications, on-campus voting offices, and drop-boxes for mailed ballots at polling places (Clauses 35, 37, 39).
• Lets voters opt out of having their data shared with parties; requires parties to meet detailed privacy standards and bans sale of personal data (Clauses 19, 70–71).
• Expands bans on foreign influence and on misinformation, including outside the election period; bans crypto, money orders, and prepaid cards as political contributions (Clauses 44–46, 61, 85).
• Adjusts candidate nomination timelines and adds offences for false nomination information (Clauses 8–13).
• Sets October 27, 2025 as the fixed election date if October 20, 2025 would otherwise apply (Clause 5).

What it means for you#

• Households (voters)

  • More chances to vote early: advance polls will run Thursday to Tuesday, 11–6 days before election day, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. (Clause 31).
  • If you cannot get to your assigned poll on election day or during advance polls, you can request a transfer to vote at another poll in your riding with a signed declaration (Clauses 28, 30).
  • You can apply for a mail-in (special) ballot electronically starting in the pre‑election period, and you may drop your special ballot envelope at any polling station in your riding on election day (Clauses 35, 37).
  • Writing only a party name on a special ballot will count if your intent is clear (Clauses 40–41).
  • You may ask Elections Canada to exclude your name, address, and identifier from lists given to parties for 5 years; Elections Canada will publish the number of such requests each year (Clause 19).

• Students

  • Special-ballot voting offices may operate on post-secondary campuses for up to 12 hours/day from the 15th to the 8th day before election day (Clause 39).
  • You can apply and vote at these on-campus offices following special ballot procedures (Clause 39).

• Seniors and people with disabilities

  • Returning officers can create polling divisions limited to a single long-term care or similar institution, with an on-site polling station open up to 12 total hours between the 13th day before election day and election day (Clause 21).
  • Residents of such institutions can vote or register without showing proof of residence; identity is still required (Clause 23).
  • The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) must develop and test voting technology for voters with disabilities, with possible use in elections if approved by Parliamentary committees for up to 6 years (Clause 3).

• Candidates and nomination contestants

  • Nominations can open at the start of the pre‑election period for fixed‑date elections; the closing day for nominations moves to Saturday, the 23rd day before election day (Clauses 8–9).
  • Witness requirements for nomination signatures and related due-diligence rules are removed (Clause 7).
  • New offences apply for conveying or filing false or misleading information in nomination papers (Clause 13; offences referenced in Clause 82).

• Political parties and associations

  • Parties must have a privacy policy that meets detailed content rules, including a named privacy officer, staff training, security safeguards, breach notification to affected individuals at real risk of significant harm, and a ban on selling personal information (Clauses 70–71).
  • The CEO must be satisfied the party’s privacy policy meets these rules for eligibility; parties must annually certify compliance (Clauses 68–69).
  • Rules requiring pre‑event online publication and notice to the CEO for regulated fundraising events are repealed; post‑event reporting remains, and the CEO will publish only the municipality and province of event locations (Clauses 62–63, 89).
  • Parties, candidates, and related entities cannot accept contributions in cryptoassets, money orders, or prepaid payment products; such contributions must be returned, destroyed, or converted and remitted (Clause 61).

• Third-party advertisers and advocacy groups

  • Registration thresholds rise from $500 to $1,500 in regulated expenses (pre‑election and election periods) (Clauses 51, 56).
  • For regulated expenses, third parties must use only contributions from Canadian individuals; limited use of own funds is allowed if prior-year contributions were 10% or less of revenue, with financial statements filed (Clauses 54, 59).
  • Disclosure is tightened: names and addresses of Canadian contributors over $200 whose funds were used must be reported in interim and final returns (Clauses 52, 57, 60).
  • Third parties cannot accept contributions in cryptoassets, money orders, or prepaid products; return/destroy/convert rules apply (Clause 49).
  • Selling ad space to prohibited foreign actors for election or partisan ads is banned (Clause 44).

• Broadcasters and online platforms

  • Using a broadcasting station outside Canada to influence voting is prohibited at any time, not just during the election period (Clause 46).
  • It is an offence to distribute material that impersonates Elections Canada, a party, or a candidate at any time and in any medium, with intent to mislead (Clause 79).

• Election workers and administrators

  • Additional advance voting days; fewer separate advance ballot boxes required; new procedures for ballot custody in long-term care institutions; ballot boxes to collect special ballot envelopes at polls on election day (Clauses 20–21, 26, 31–33, 37).
  • Dates for list revisions and publications shift by one day (Clauses 16–18).
  • The CEO may recommend changing the fixed polling day to avoid conflicts; reasons must be published (Clause 6).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No fiscal note or appropriations are specified in the bill text. Data unavailable.
• Operational changes that may affect Elections Canada’s workload include:
  • Two additional days of advance voting (Clause 31). Data unavailable.
  • Polling stations in long-term care institutions (Clause 21). Data unavailable.
  • Special ballot drop boxes at polling stations and on-campus special ballot offices (Clauses 37, 39). Data unavailable.
  • Expanded enforcement powers and annual privacy meetings (Clauses 71, 95–101). Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Improves access to voting:
  • Six days of advance polls with uniform hours; flexible advance options for remote areas; transfer certificates to vote at another poll within the riding (Clauses 29–31; 28, 30).
  • On-site polls in long-term care and simplified residence proof for residents (Clauses 21, 23).
  • Student voting offices on campuses (Clause 39).
• Modernizes mail-in voting:
  • Electronic applications; drop-off of special ballot envelopes at polling stations; party names allowed on special ballots to reflect voter intent (Clauses 35, 37, 40–41).
• Strengthens protections against misinformation and interference:
  • New offences for false statements about where, when, and how to vote; impersonation offences apply anytime and across media; foreign influence rules expanded (Clauses 12, 79, 81; 44–46).
• Enhances data privacy and transparency:
  • Voters can opt out of party list sharing for 5 years (Clause 19).
  • Parties must meet clear privacy standards, notify affected individuals of risky breaches, and cannot sell personal information (Clauses 70–71).
• Reduces opaque funding:
  • Bans crypto, money orders, and prepaid cards as contributions; limits third-party regulated spending to Canadian individual contributions; higher registration threshold (Clauses 49, 51, 54, 56, 59, 61, 85).
• Improves enforcement:
  • Commissioner gains tools to address attempts, conspiracies, and counseling offences; can seek injunctions and production orders; can coordinate with national security bodies (Clauses 95–101).

Opponents' View#

• Higher administrative burden and costs:
  • More advance voting days, long-term care polls, and special ballot handling increase staffing and logistics needs; no cost estimates are provided (Clauses 21, 31, 37). Assumption noted.
• Compliance load on civil society:
  • Third parties must track and use only Canadian individual contributions for regulated expenses and disclose contributor details over $200, which may strain smaller groups (Clauses 52, 54, 57, 59).
• Reduced pre-event fundraising transparency:
  • Removing the requirement to publish and notify about regulated fundraising events before they happen may weaken public scrutiny, despite continued post-event reporting (Clauses 62–63, 89).
• Speech and enforcement concerns:
  • Extending the ban on foreign broadcasting influence outside the election period and broad false-statement offences could raise free-expression and overreach issues if applied broadly (Clauses 46, 81).
• Risks around assisted voting and residence proof:
  • Allowing any person to assist multiple voters and removing residence proof for long-term care residents may increase the risk of improper influence or error if safeguards are not robust (Clauses 23, 27, 43).
• Party privacy regime design:
  • The Act makes the party privacy framework “national, uniform, exclusive and complete,” which may limit recourse under other regimes; effectiveness will depend on oversight and enforcement (Clause 70).