Elections BC
Agency overview
Formed1995
JurisdictionBritish Columbia
Headquarters100-1112 Fort Street, Victoria, British Columbia
Employees44 (permanent); up to 32,000 (election period)[1]
Annual budget$8,961,000[1]
Agency executive
  • Anton Boegman, chief electoral officer
Websitewww.elections.bc.ca

Elections BC (formally the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia) is a non-partisan office of the British Columbia legislature responsible for conducting provincial and local elections, by-elections, petitions, referendums, plebiscites in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its federal equivalent is Elections Canada.

Responsibilities

Elections BC is a non-partisan office of the British Columbia Legislature responsible for conducting provincial and local elections, by-elections, petitions, referendums, plebiscites in British Columbia. Elections BC compiles and maintains a list of eligible voters as well as sets and adjusts the boundaries of electoral districts.[2]

Elections BC is also responsible for regulating campaign financing and advertising and the registration of political parties. To retain their official status, political parties must file annual financial reports with Elections BC.[2][3] Registration entitles parties to have their name on the ballot where they run candidates, issue tax receipts and spend on election campaigns.[4] As of 4 November 2015, 22 political parties are registered in British Columbia.[5]

In advance of elections, a district electoral officer (DEO) and a deputy district electoral officer (DDEO) represent Elections BC in each electoral district and establish a temporary office to conduct the election, often shortly before the writ of election is dropped by the government.

Elections BC is subject to the following legislation: Election Act (1996),[6] Financial Disclosure Act (1996),[7] Local Government Act (1996),[8] the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (2014).,[9] and the Recall and Initiative Act (1996).[10]

Scheduled election dates

British Columbia was the first province to legislate fixed dates for elections. The next provincial election was set for October 16, 2021. On September 21, 2020, John Horgan called a snap election for October 24, 2020.[11]

Referendums

In 2015, Elections BC spent $5,372,380 to administer the 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite, a cost of about $3.44 per voter.[12] A total of 1,572,861 voting packages were issued and 798,262 (51 per cent) returned to Elections BC. About 62 per cent of Metro Vancouver voters rejected a proposal for a half-per-cent sales tax increase to fund a 10-year, $7.5-billion upgrade to transportation by TransLink. About 290,000 voted yes, while 467,000 voted no. About 38,393 ballot packages received by deadline were rejected because they did not meet the requirements of the plebiscite.[13]

Candidacy fees and requirements

A candidate is required under the Election Act to gather the signatures of 75 valid voters in their electoral district. A nomination deposit of $250 per candidate is required. Candidates who receive 15 per cent of the total vote receive a full refund. All others forfeit the deposit.[14]

Chief electoral officers

Chief electoral officers forfeit their right to vote in elections they oversee. They may not be a member of a political party or contribute to candidate campaigns.[15]

The position of chief electoral officer was created in 1947. Prior to that time, the responsibility for overseeing elections had been assigned to the registrar of the Supreme Court from 1871–1899, then to the deputy provincial secretary from 1899–1940. In 1940, the position of registrar general of voters was created to take over some of the deputy provincial secretary's duties. In 1950, the chief electoral officer was also appointed registrar general of voters. The positions were subsequently held jointly until the position of registrar general of voters was abolished in 1995. In 1995, the chief electoral officer became an independent officer of the Legislature.[16]

Current and previous officers

  • Anton Boegman (June 1, 2018 – present)
  • Keith Archer (September 21, 2011 – May 1, 2018)
  • Harry Neufeld (November 7, 2002 – June 5, 2010)
  • Robert A. Patterson (May 2, 1990 – June 6, 2002)
  • Harry Morris Goldberg (April 15, 1980 – May 2, 1990)
  • Kenneth Loudon Morton (June 1, 1968 – October 1, 1979)
  • Frederick Harold Hurley (April 1, 1947 – June 1, 1968)[17]

Election expenses

Election
Year		 Total
election expenses		 Electoral division
cost		 CEO office
cost		 Voter registration
cost		 Electors
on list		 Average cost / elector Turnout Percentage Sources
1996 $15,574,526 $8,891,749 $5,186,654 $1,496,123 2,227,424 $6.99 1,592,655 71.5% [18]
2001 $18,129,588 $11,607,098 $5,186,654 $1,615,849 2,254,920 $8 1,599,765 70.95% [19][20][21]
2005 $22,909,644 $13,624,872 $9,284,772 $3,244,918 2,845,284 $8 1,774,269 58.19% [22][23][24]
2009 $35,260,610 $21,170,173 $14,090,437 $2,912,687 3,238,737 $12 1,651,567 51% [25][26]
2013 $34,808,125 $22,874,036 $11,934,089 $5,982,981 3,116,626 $10.96 1,813,912 57.1% [27]
2017 $39,450,034 $22,407,049 $17,042,985 $6,272,500 3,246,647 $12.15 1,986,371 61.2% [28]
2020 $51,603,932 $29,400,057 $22,203,875 — 3,524,812 $14.64 1,898,553 53.9% [29]

Note: Enumeration or voter registration expenses were included in total election expenses up to the 2001 election. As of 2005, Elections BC excluded enumeration expenses from its calculation of total election expenses.

Candidates per election

Election year Total candidates Electoral districts Political parties Registered constituency associations Sources
1991 317 75 — — [30]
1996 513 75 18 142 [30]
2001 456 79 28 205 [31]
2005 412 79 45 163 [32][33]
2009 345 85 32 128 [34][35]
2013 376 85 26 159 [27][36]
2017 371 87 28 — [28]
2020 332 87 28 — [29]

References

  1. 1 2 Elections BC 2007-2008 Annual Report
  2. 1 2 http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/about/what-we-do/ Elections BC What We Do web page. Accessed October 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/about/ About Elections BC web page. Accessed October 21, 2015.
  4. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/LOC/complete/statreg/--%20E%20--/Election%20Act%20%5BRSBC%201996%5D%20c.%20106/00_Act/96106_09.xml#part9 Election Act, Part 9 — Registration of Political Parties and Constituency Associations
  5. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/fin/Registered-Political-Parties-Information.pdf Registered Political Parties
  6. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96106_00 Election Act legislation
  7. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96139_01 Financial Disclosure Act legislation
  8. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/LOC/complete/statreg/--%20L%20--/Local%20Government%20Act%20%5BRSBC%201996%5D%20c.%20323/00_Act/96323_04.xml#section42 Local Government Act, Part 3
  9. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/14018 Local Elections Campaign Financing Act legislation
  10. ↑ "Table of Contents - Recall and Initiative Act".
  11. ↑ "British Columbians heading to the polls on October 24 in fall election". Global News. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  12. ↑ Hui, Stephen (September 22, 2015). "Elections B.C. says transit referendum cost $5.4 million". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  13. ↑ Morton, Brian (September 22, 2015). "Elections BC to review rejection of more than 38,000 Transit Plebiscite ballots". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  14. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/LOC/complete/statreg/--%20E%20--/Election%20Act%20%5BRSBC%201996%5D%20c.%20106/00_Act/96106_05.xml#part5 Election Act, Part 5 - Candidates
  15. ↑ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/LOC/complete/statreg/--%20E%20--/Election%20Act%20%5BRSBC%201996%5D%20c.%20106/00_Act/96106_02.xml#section5 Election Act - Election and Other Officials
  16. ↑ "The Chief Electoral Officer". April 30, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  17. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/about/ceo/ Elections BC CEOs
  18. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1996-SOVGeneralElection.pdf General Election Report 1996
  19. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2001GEResults/2001-SOVGeneralElection.pdf General Election Results 2001
  20. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2001_arep.pdf Elections BC Annual Report 2001
  21. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/ceofin2001.pdf Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 37th Provincial General Election
  22. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2005GEResults/SOV-GEcomplete.pdf Elections BC, Statement of Votes, 38th Provincial General Election, May 17, 2005
  23. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2005-CEOreportRefOnElectoralReform.pdf Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, 38th Provincial General Election, 2005 Referendum on Electoral Reform, May 17, 2005
  24. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2005-TargetedEnumeration.pdf Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Targeted Enumeration and Voter Registration
  25. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2009GE/2009-GE-SOV.pdf Elections BC, Statement of Votes 39th Provincial General Election, May 12, 2009
  26. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2009EnumerationReport.pdf Elections BC, Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2009 Enumeration
  27. 1 2 http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2013-General-Election-Report.pdf Elections BC, Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 40th Provincial General Election, May 14, 2013
  28. 1 2 "2017 Provincial General Election - Report of the Chief Electoral Officer" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  29. 1 2 "Report of the Chief Electoral Officer — 42nd Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. July 27, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  30. 1 2 http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/96_arep.pdf Elections BC 1995/1996 Annual Report
  31. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2001GEResults/2001-SOVGeneralElection.pdf Elections BC, Statement of Votes, 37th Provincial General Election, May 16, 2001
  32. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/0405AnnualReport.pdf Elections BC Annual Report 2004/2005
  33. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/news/n_050504.pdf BC Chief Electoral Office News Release, 2005 Provincial General Election Nomination of Candidates, May 4, 2005
  34. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/news/2009-candidates Archived May 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Elections BC news release, Your Candidates for the 2009 Provincial General Election
  35. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/0809-Annual-Report.pdf Elections BC Annual Report 2008/2009
  36. ↑ http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/AR1213SP1316.pdf Elections BC Annual Report 2012/2013
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