This is a preliminary description; please consult the linked accessions. Series consists of records relating to registered and refused political parties.
The Elections Canada Act defines a political party as "an organization one of whose fundamental purposes is to participate in public affairs by endorsing one or more of its members as candidates and supporting their election."
Forming and registering a federal political party are two different things. There is no legislation regulating the formation of federal political parties. Elections Canada cannot dictate how a federal political party should be formed or how its legal, internal and financial structures should be established. Political parties cannot "pre-register" with Elections Canada in order to "exist." The Act does not provide for the reservation or pre-approval of a party name. However, once a party exists, it may apply to be registered under the Act.
The Act uses the following terms:
¿Eligible party: A party that has applied for registration under the Act, and that has met all of the legal requirements to be registered (including having at least 250 members who are electors), other than running a candidate at a general election or by-election.
¿Registered party: A party is registered under the Act if it succeeds in endorsing one or more confirmed candidates in a general election or a by-election after it has become eligible for registration.
¿Deregistered party: A registered party that has been deregistered by the Chief Electoral Officer for failing to endorse a confirmed candidate in at least one electoral district, for failing to have three officers in addition to its leader, for failing to have at least 250 members who are electors, or for failing to file documents specified by the Act. A registered party may also be deregistered by the Chief Electoral Officer by the order of a competent court on the application of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, if the party does not meet the Act's definition of a political party. A party may deregister voluntarily.
