Qp Date

Election Act

[RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 106

Contents
Section
Part 1 — Interpretation and Application
 1 Definitions
 2 Time
 3 Amendments do not apply for 6 months unless notice given
 3.1 Act does not inhibit government or members
Part 2 — Election and Other Officials
 Division 1 — Chief Electoral Officer
 4 Appointment of chief electoral officer
 5 Impartiality
 6 Term of office
 7 Remuneration and pension
 8 Resignation, removal or suspension
 9 Acting chief electoral officer
 10 General staff of the chief electoral officer
 11 Expenses of administering Act
 12 Duties and powers of the chief electoral officer
 13 Reports to the Legislative Assembly
 Division 2 — Election Advisory Committee
 14 Establishment of Election Advisory Committee
 15 Meetings of committee
 16 Role of committee
 Division 3 — Election Officials
 17 Individuals prohibited from being appointed as election officials
 18 District electoral officers
 19 Voting officers and other election officials and staff
 20 Oath of office
 21 Terms of appointment
 Division 4 — Voter Registration Officials
 22 District registrars of voters
 23 Temporary voter registration officials
Part 3 — Calling an Election
 24 Order for a general election
 25 Order for a by-election
 26 Election called when writ of election issued
 27 General voting day
 28 Notice of election
Part 4 — Voters
 Division 1 — Qualifications
 29 Who may vote
 30 Individuals disqualified from voting
 Division 2 — Registration
 31 Who may register as a voter
 32 Rules for determining where an individual is resident
 33 When an individual may register
 34 Updating registration information
 35 Application for registration
 36 General registration
 37 Closed period for general registration
 38 Registration through agencies
 39 Special voter registration opportunities
 39.1 Registration and updating based on National Register of Electors information
 40 Automatic updating using driver's licence information
 41 Registration in conjunction with voting if identification documents available
 41.1 Registration in conjunction with voting if no identification documents
 41.2 Challenge of registration
 42 Enumerations
 43 Cancellation of enumeration if election called
 44 Voter registration officials conducting enumeration
 Division 3 — Lists of Voters
 45 Provincial List of Voters to be maintained
 46 Updating the Provincial list of voters
 47 Preparation of lists of voters for use in an election
 48 Access to lists of voters during election
 49 Objection to the registration of a voter
 50 Resolving objections
 51 Lists of voters generally
Part 5 — Candidates
 Division 1 — Nominations
 52 Who may be nominated
 53 Who may make nominations
 54 Nomination documents
 55 Nomination deposit
 56 Nomination by filing documents with the district electoral officer
 57 Standing nominations filed with the chief electoral officer
 58 Changes to nomination documents after filing
 59 Nomination documents available for public inspection
 60 Endorsement of candidate by registered political party
 61 Declaration of candidates and election
 62 Notice of election by voting
 Division 2 — Candidates
 63 When an individual is a candidate
 64 Withdrawal of candidate
 65 Death of candidate
 66 Challenge of candidate
 67 Candidate entitled to leave from employment
 68 Delivery of documents to candidates
 Division 3 — Candidate Representatives
 69 Appointment of official agent
 70 Appointment of scrutineers and other candidate representatives
 71 Notice of candidate agents
 72 Presence of candidate representatives at election proceedings
Part 6 — Voting
 Division 1 — Voting Opportunities
 73 Voting opportunities
 74 Time off from work for general voting
 75 General voting opportunities for an electoral district
 76 Advance voting opportunities for an electoral district
 77 Special voting opportunities
 78 Alternative absentee voting
 79 Notice of voting opportunities
 Division 2 — Arrangements for Voting
 80 Voting areas
 81 Voting places
 82 Voting stations
 83 Voting screens
 84 Voting books
 85 Ballot boxes
 86 Ballots
 87 Ballot papers, certification envelopes and other materials
 88 Assignment of election official responsibilities
 Division 3 — Voting Proceedings
 89 Each individual may vote only once in an election
 90 Voting to be by secret ballot
 91 How to mark a ballot
 92 Individuals who must be present at voting proceedings
 93 Individuals who may be present at voting proceedings
 94 Only one individual at a time may use a voting screen
 95 Sealing of ballot boxes
 Division 4 — Voting at a Voting Opportunity
 96 General voting
 97 Advance voting for an electoral district
 98 Voting at a special voting opportunity
 99 Absentee voting on general voting day in a different voting area
 100 Absentee voting at general voting for a different electoral district
 101 Absentee voting at an advance voting opportunity for a different electoral district
 Division 5 — Alternative Absentee Voting
 102 Who may vote by alternative absentee voting
 103 When an individual may vote by alternative absentee voting
 104 Voting at the office of the district electoral officer
 105 Obtaining an alternative absentee voting package
 106 Voting using an alternative absentee voting package
 107 Receipt of alternative absentee voting packages
 108 Special provision of alternative absentee voting packages for armed forces and others
 Division 6 — Special Circumstances
 109 Individuals needing assistance to mark their ballots
 110 Individuals unable to enter a voting place
 111 Challenge of a voter
 112 If another individual has already voted under a voter's name
 113 Replacement of spoiled ballot
 114 Time for voting extended
Part 7 — Counting of the Vote
 Division 1 — Initial Count
 115 What is the initial count
 116 When the initial count is to take place
 117 Where the initial count is to take place
 118 Who conducts the initial count
 119 Who must and may be present at the initial count
 120 Proceedings on the initial count
 121 Ballot account for initial count
 122 Consideration of ballots
 123 Rules for accepting and rejecting ballots
 124 Objections to the acceptance of a vote or the rejection of a ballot
 125 Preliminary election results
 126 Packaging and delivery of election materials to district electoral officer
 Division 2 — Final Count
 127 What is the final count
 128 When and where the final count is to take place
 129 Who conducts the final count
 130 Who must and may be present at the final count and preparations
 131 Certification envelope preparations for final count
 132 Proceedings on final count
 133 Ballot account for final count
 134 Consideration of certification envelopes
 135 Consideration of ballots from certification envelopes
 136 Recount by district electoral officer of ballots considered in initial count
 137 Declaration of official election results
 138 Preparation of election materials for delivery to chief electoral officer
 Division 3 — Judicial Recount
 139 Application for judicial recount by Supreme Court
 140 Notice of time and place for recount
 141 Individuals who may be present at a judicial recount
 142 Judicial recount procedure
 143 Results of judicial recount
 144 Appeal of judicial recount
 145 Procedure on appeal of judicial recount
 Division 4 — Final Proceedings
 146 Return of the writ of election
 147 Report of results of election by chief electoral officer
 148 By-election if tie vote
 149 Retention of election materials
Part 8 — Invalid Elections
 150 Application to court
 151 Power of the court on an application
 152 Costs of an application
 153 Report to the Legislative Assembly
Part 9 — Registration of Political Parties and Constituency Associations
 Division 1 — Registration
 154 Benefits of registration
 155 Registration of a political party
 156 Prohibitions regarding political party names and other identifications
 157 Registration of a constituency association
 158 Processing of applications for registration
 159 Changes in registration information
 160 Changes in political party name or form of identification
 161 Authority of principal officers
 162 Registers and other information to be open to the public
 Division 2 — Deregistration and Suspension
 163 How an organization may be deregistered
 164 Voluntary deregistration
 165 Deregistration of constituency association on request of its political party or MLA
 166 Automatic deregistration of constituency associations
 167 Automatic suspension of constituency associations
 168 Automatic deregistration of political party for failure to run candidates
 169 Notice of deregistration or suspension
 Division 3 — Effect of Deregistration
 170 Financial reports required on deregistration
 171 Assets of deregistered organization to be held in trust
 172 Disposition of assets of a political party
 173 Disposition of assets of a constituency association
 174 Reregistration
Part 10 — Election Financing
 Division 1 — Financial Officers
 175 Requirement for financial agent
 176 Appointment of financial agent
 177 Obligations of financial agent
 178 Deputy financial agents
 179 Appointment of auditor
 Division 2 — Definition and Valuation of Political Contributions and Expenses
 180 Political contributions generally
 181 Political contributions through loans and debts
 182 Political contributions through fundraising functions
 183 Election expenses
 184 Contestant expenses
 185 General valuation rules
 Division 3 — Making and Accepting Political Contributions
 186 Restrictions on making political contributions
 187 Restrictions on accepting political contributions
 188 Limits on anonymous contributions
 189 Prohibited contributions must be returned
 190 Financial agent must record each political contribution
 191 Candidate and constituency association records must be provided to political party
 192 Income tax receipts for political contributions
 Division 4 — Incurring Election and Contestant Expenses
 193 Restrictions on who may incur election and contestant expenses
 194 Restrictions on who may incur expenses equivalent to election expenses
 195 Time limit for demanding payment of election expenses
 Division 5 — Election Expenses Limits
 196 Election expenses in excess of limits prohibited
 197 Repealed
 198 Election expenses limit for registered political parties
 199 Election expenses limit for candidates
 200 Constituency association expenses on behalf of candidate
 201 Political party expenses on behalf of candidate
 202 New limits if by-election cancelled by general election
 203 Expenses not to be included in calculating amounts subject to limit
 204 Limits and adjustment to reflect changes in consumer price index
 205 Transfer of candidate's surplus election funds
 Division 6 — Reporting
 206 Reporting of information regarding political contributions
 207 Annual financial reports by registered political parties and constituency associations
 208 Personal expenses reports by candidates and leadership contestants
 209 Election financing reports by candidates
 210 Election financing reports by registered political parties and constituency associations
 211 Leadership contestant financing reports
 212 Supplementary reports
 213 General requirements for reports
 214 Auditing of reports
 215 Publication of election financing summary
 Division 7 — Penalties for Failure to Comply
 216 Publication of failure to comply
 217 Candidate who incurs election expenses over limit
 218 Political party that incurs election expenses over limit
 219 Court order for relief from election expenses limits
 220 Late filing of required reports
 221 Candidate who fails to file election financing report
 222 Leadership contestant who fails to file contestant financing report
 223 Deregistration of political party or constituency association for failure to file financial reports
 224 Deregistration of political party for failure of candidates to file election financing reports
 225 Court order for relief from filing obligations
 226 False or misleading reports in relation to candidates and leadership contestants
 227 False or misleading reports in relation to political parties and constituency associations
Part 11 — Election Communications
 Division 1 — General
 228 Election advertising
 228.1 Tenant and strata election advertising
 229 Sponsorship of election advertising
 230 No indirect sponsorship of election advertising
 231 Election advertising must identify sponsor
 232 Restriction on rates charged for election advertising
 233 Prohibition against certain election advertising on general voting day
 233.1 Prohibition against transmitting new poll results on general voting day
 234 Restriction on election campaigning near election offices and voting places
 235 Repealed
 Division 2 — Election Advertising Limits
 235.1 Third party advertising limits
 235.2 Penalties for exceeding third party advertising limit
 235.3 Court order for relief from advertising limit
 236–238 Repealed
 Division 3 — Registration of Sponsors
 239 Election advertising sponsors must be registered
 240 Registration with chief electoral officer
 241 Obligations of registered sponsor
 242 Voluntary deregistration
 243 Reregistration
 Division 4 — Disclosure of Independent Election Advertising
 244 Independent sponsors must file disclosure reports
 245 Contents of disclosure report
 246 Late filing of reports
 247 Failure to file reports
 248 Court order for relief from filing obligations
 249 Obligation to maintain records
 250 Information to be open to the public
Part 12 — Offences
 251 Penalties under this Part are in addition to any others
 252 Prosecution of offences
 253 Prosecution of organizations and their directors and agents
 254 Defence of due diligence
 255 Vote buying
 256 Intimidation
 257 Corrupt voting
 258 Subversion of election by an official
 259 Offences in relation to candidates
 260 Offences in relation to ballots and other election materials
 261 Offences in relation to voting and counting proceedings
 262 Offences in relation to the registration of political parties and constituency associations
 263 Offences in relation to election financing
 264 Offences in relation to election advertising and other promotion
 265 Offences in relation to election and other officials
 266 Offences in relation to false or misleading information
 267 Offence in relation to use of information
Part 13 — General
 268 Declarations required under this Act
 269 Exceptional assistance for signature or translation
 270 Public notice requirements
 271 Filing documents with chief electoral officer
 272 Adjournment of election proceedings
 273 Keeping peace and order at election proceedings
 274 Proof that an individual has voted
 275 Access to and use of information in records
 276 Investigations and audits by chief electoral officer
 277 Complaints regarding contraventions of this Act
 278 Enforcement of election expenses penalties
 279 Enforcement of Act by court injunction
 280 Emergencies and other extraordinary circumstances
 281 Test of new election procedures in a by-election
 282 Plebiscites on matters of public concern
 283 Regulations of the chief electoral officer
Schedule

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