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How to make a complaint about calls received during federal election periods

Is the CRTC the right place to deal with your complaint?

If your complaint is related to a telemarketing call, contact the National Do Not Call List.

If you have a complaint about a possible violation of the Canada Elections Act, contact the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections.

If your complaint is related to:

  • A misleading call, text, or email about the election,
  • Services provided by Elections Canada,

Or if you want to confirm when and where you can vote, contact Elections Canada.

The Voter Contact Registry was created to help protect Canadians from rogue and misleading telephone calls during federal elections, and to ensure that those who contact voters during an election do so transparently. Certain entities who make calls to Canadians, or who authorize others to make calls on their behalf during an election period for any purpose related to an election may be required to register with the CRTC. If you think you have received a call from an individual or group who has not registered with the Voter Contact Registry, continue below.

What information you should include in your complaint

To file a complaint with the CRTC you will need:

  • Your contact information, including your address, and a telephone number where you can be reached.
  • Details about the call itself:
    • Name of the caller,
    • Person or group on whose behalf the call was made,
    • Telephone number of the caller,
    • Date and time you received the call,
    • Stated purpose of the call, and
    • Type of call you received (either live or automated).
  • The name of the person or group you are making the complaint against.

Privacy Notice

The information you provide in your complaint is used to investigate potential violations of the Canada Elections Act and the Telecommunications Act.

  1. Your complaint might be shared with Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Elections, who also have roles and responsibilities during an election.
    If this happens, we will not tell you beforehand. You can find out more about how Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Elections handle your personal information on their websites.  
  2. Your complaint might be shared with a telemarketer and/or the client of the telemarketer that is the subject of your complaint.
    We only do this if your complaint falls under the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules. We only share what is strictly necessary to conduct an investigation into your complaint. For more information about the use and disclosure in this case, please read the National Do Not Call List Privacy Statement.
  3. Why we collect your personal information.
    We want to investigate complaints thoroughly and effectively. We might contact you so that we can collect more information related to your complaint. The information you provide is included in the Personal Information Bank Unsolicited Telecommunications PPU 075. For more information about the use and disclosure of personal information, please read our Terms and Conditions.
  4. You can withdraw your complaint.
    At any time, you can withdraw your complaint. We may still conduct an investigation, regardless of whether you withdraw.

    To withdraw your complaint, contact us and explain that you want to withdraw a voter contact registry complaint. You will need to provide the date you lodged your complaint, your name, and the complaint confirmation number (if you kept it).
    • Toll-Free: 1-877-249-2782
    • Local number: 819-997-0313
    • Toll-Free TTY device: 1-877-909-2782
  5. Keep it clean.
    We do not follow-up with complaints that contain abusive or offensive language.
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