Using a dedicated campaign bank account

Using a dedicated campaign bank account

Dedicated campaign bank accounts for local government elections are required to ensure transparency of financial transactions, including incurring electoral expenditure.

Registered political parties must establish a dedicated campaign bank account before paying for any electoral expenditure. This account is in addition to the dedicated campaign bank account that each of its candidates must also establish.

Registered political parties must notify the ECQ of their local government campaign bank account details within 5 business days of endorsing a candidate in a local government election.

Registered political parties:

• may keep the same dedicated campaign bank account for successive local elections but
• must not use the same bank account for local and state elections.

All electoral expenditure for a local government election must be paid for from the party’s local government campaign account. There are restrictions about how amounts can be paid from the account. The use of a credit card is strictly prohibited.

Any amounts remaining in the account at the end of the election can only be dealt with in certain ways (see fact sheets below).

Links to further information:

• Fact sheet 10 – Definition of gifts and loans
• Fact sheet 15 – Ban on use of credit cards
• Fact sheet 28 – Dedicated campaign bank accounts for registered political parties
• Video - Dedicated campaign bank accounts