Beginning on January 1, 2026, third parties running partisan election advertisements will have to register with Quebec’s Chief Electoral Officer. On May 30, Quebec’s Bill 98, the Act to Amend the Election Act Primarily to Preserve the Integrity of the Electoral Process, received royal assent.

Third party advertisers with expenses totaling more than $1,000 will have to register with the Chief Electoral Officer by sending a notice of intent. Following the election, they will have to submit a statement of their advertising expenses. The public will be able to view a list of registered third parties and their statements on the Elections Québec website.

The bill also changes political party activity reporting, imposes an obligation to destroy personal information relating to voters in certain circumstances, and makes it an offence for anyone disseminating certain information that they know to be false with the intent to influence the results of an election, disrupt its conduct, or compromise public confidence in the electoral process.

New changes in the legislation will be in effect by October 5, 2026, the date of Quebec’s next scheduled provincial elections.

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