The CRTC issues registration notices filed with the Voter Contact Registry

OTTAWA and GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today published the registration notices filed with the Voter Contact Registry during the 42^nd General Election, held from August 4, 2015 to October 19, 2015.

A total of 1460 registrations have been filed to the CRTC for the 42^nd General Election, including 554 from calling service providers and 906 from other persons or groups.

If Canadians suspect they have been called by someone who was not properly registered with the Voter Contact Registry, they can file a complaint. The CRTC can investigate any alleged violation of the Voter Contact Registry and impose monetary penalties for each violation of up to $1,500 for individuals and up to $15,000 for corporations.

Anyone (including candidates and political parties, corporations, trade associations and other individuals or groups) using the services of a calling service provider to call voters during the election had to register with the CRTC within 48 hours of making their first call. The calling service providers who made the calls also had to register with the CRTC.

In addition, any individual or group using their own internal services to make calls to voters using an automatic dialing and announcing device (often referred to as robocalls) had to register with the CRTC within 48 hours of making the first call.

With the exception of third parties who are corporations or groups, those who made live calls to voters using their own internal services did not have to register. In other words, candidates, nomination contestants, registered political parties, registered electoral district associations and individuals who use their own internal services to make live calls to voters did NOT have to register with the CRTC.

Quick Facts

• The CRTC is responsible for establishing and maintaining the registry during federal elections and by-elections to help protect Canadians from rogue or misleading telephone calls, and to help to ensure that those who contact voters during an election do so transparently.
• This oversight mechanism was prescribed by Parliament through the adoption of the Fair Elections Act in 2014.
• Certain entities and parties who called voters during the 2015 federal election had to register with the CRTC no later than 48 hours after making the first call.
• The CRTC has set out the factors that it will consider when setting the penalty amounts for violations of the Voter Contact Registry obligations.
• The CRTC is conducting investigations of complaints filed by Canadians. No determinations have yet been made. The CRTC does not comment on active investigations.

Quote

"As part of our efforts to implement the regime entrusted to us by Parliament, we are pleased to publish the registration notices for the 2015 federal election at the earliest date provided by the legislation. Our objective, before and during the election, was to ensure those making calls were familiar with the new Voter Contact Registry requirements. Canadians who feel that these requirements were not respected can file a complaint with the CRTC."

Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC

Associated Links

File a complaint

View the registration notices

Information about the Voter Contact Registry

Compliance and Enforcement Information Bulletin CRTC 2015-110 (identification requirements)

Compliance and Enforcement Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-109 (setting penalty amounts)

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SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

For further information: Media Relations, [phone]; General Inquiries, [phone], Toll-free 1 (877) 249-CRTC (2782), TTY [phone], Ask a question or make a complaint: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/question.htm