AI Labels and Takedowns for Elections

Summary#

Bill 99 changes Ontario’s election laws to make voting information clearer and limit misinformation. It shifts some election duties to the non-partisan Chief Electoral Officer and sets new rules for political ads that use artificial intelligence (AI).

• Lets the Chief Electoral Officer, not the government, appoint local returning officers (the people who run voting in each riding).
• Allows polling day to fall on any day from the 36th to the 42nd day after the writ is issued, instead of a single fixed day.
• Requires political ads made in whole or in part with AI to say they used AI.
• Bans knowingly sharing false or misleading content about who can be a candidate, key election dates, polling place locations, or election results.
• Gives the Chief Electoral Officer power to order people or organizations to stop or remove content that breaks the rules, with a 12-hour deadline and possible fines for not complying.

What it means for you#

• Voters

  • You should see clearer labels on political ads that were made with AI.
  • There will be stronger action against false posts that could mislead you about where and when to vote or the results.
  • Election day will fall within a one-week window. Check official sources to confirm the exact date.

• Candidates and parties

  • If you use AI to create any part of a political ad, you must include a statement that it used AI.
  • Do not share false information about candidate eligibility, election dates, polling locations, or results. If you do, you may be ordered to remove it within 12 hours and could face a fine if you don’t.
  • Plan for a flexible polling day within the 36–42 day window after the writ.

• Community groups and individuals

  • Be careful when posting about voting dates, locations, who can run, or results. Sharing what you know is false can trigger a takedown order and fines if you ignore it.
  • If you get a removal notice from Elections Ontario, you must act within 12 hours.

• Social media platforms, publishers, and advertisers

  • You may receive directions from the Chief Electoral Officer to stop or remove non-compliant content, with a 12-hour turnaround.
  • Add clear AI-use labels to political ads you host or distribute, and build checks into your ad systems.

• Election workers

  • Returning officers will be appointed by the Chief Electoral Officer, which may standardize hiring and training across ridings.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Moves key hiring from the government to the independent Chief Electoral Officer, which supporters say strengthens neutrality and trust.
• A flexible polling day window can avoid conflicts with holidays, emergencies, or major events and make voting smoother.
• AI labels help voters spot computer-generated images, audio, or video and judge ads more wisely.
• Targeted ban on false information about dates, locations, eligibility, and results focuses on the areas most likely to confuse or suppress voters.
• Fast 12-hour takedown authority helps stop harmful misinformation before it spreads widely.

Opponents' View#

• Takedown orders and fines could chill free speech, especially for smaller groups or individuals who fear making a mistake.
• Deciding what is “false or misleading” can be tricky; critics worry about errors, overreach, or uneven enforcement.
• A 12-hour compliance window may be hard to meet outside business hours or for people not checking messages constantly.
• AI labeling could be easy to evade and may add burdens for small campaigns with limited technical capacity.
• Changing election day from a fixed date to a window could cause confusion for voters and complicate planning for campaigns and community groups.