This webpage provides information about how different groups and organizations work together to protect election integrity in British Columbia.
Ensuring election integrity in the current threat environment is a multi-faceted challenge that will require a whole-of-society approach to address.
There is no one agency that has complete responsibility in this area, and equally, there is no single solution that would eliminate these threats while maintaining our democracy as we know it: accessible, fair, and transparent. Many different organizations and elements of our society have an important role to play, and the effective collaboration of provincial and federal agencies with a mandate and oversight in this area is key.
Voters also must develop their ability to navigate a fast-changing information environment, in order to build resilience. The following sections outline key partners and their responsibilities in detecting, preventing, and responding to threats to election integrity.
Elections BC administers all aspects of B.C. provincial elections as well as the campaign finance and election advertising elements of local government elections. An independent, non-partisan office of the legislature, our top priority is administering accessible elections for voters while maintaining a level and transparent playing field for parties and candidates. We also ensure electoral laws are upheld and enforced. We work collaboratively with law enforcement agencies in this latter role.
Throughout the electoral process, there are important safeguards that help ensure election integrity. These include those in
Established by Elections BC, the EIWG includes representation from provincial and federal agencies, including the provincial government (Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of the Deputy Minister to the Premier), the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The mandates of all member organizations touch on different aspects of election integrity. The purpose of the group is to understand the role and responsibilities of each member in relation to identifying and addressing threats to the integrity of B.C. elections. By knowing how information can be shared and the levers available to each group member, emergent threats can be addressed and mitigated by the responsible agency.
The EIWG is the first body of its kind at the provincial level in Canada. Elections BC will report on the outcome of the EIWG’s work following the election. Our hope is that this approach could serve as a model for other jurisdictions in Canada.
Political participants must take active steps to address threats to election integrity. They are not just potential targets of these threats, but have significant interests in preserving a fair, level playing field.
Political participants have legislated responsibilities that mitigate some risks to election integrity. This includes following established election advertising and campaign financing rules, protecting personal information, being cyber-aware and maintaining effective cyber security practices. Parties need to also be aware of avenues of foreign influence and interference, and work to protect their internal processes against this threat.
Political participants also have a responsibility to report any potential cases of foreign interference. This could be to CSIS or the RCMP, in the case of a national security concern, or Elections BC, in the case of a violation of election legislation. They also play a vital role in observing the electoral process in accordance with legislation, which supports transparency and election integrity.
Academic institutions play a significant role in understanding and addressing disinformation and foreign interference in elections through sharing their expertise and research. Scholars conduct research to understand the tactics, strategies, and methods used by malign actors to interfere in elections. Based on their research findings, academics can identify potential solutions intended to strengthen election security and mitigate the risks of these threats. They may also be the target of influence campaigns, and should take steps to mitigate the risk of interference within their industry. For example, in 2020 McGill University formed a Foreign Interference Working Group. The group aims to help researchers protect intellectual property and research, and implement protections against foreign interference. Academics also collaborate with government agencies and election management bodies to share their research and insights. This collaboration can lead policies and strategies to counter threats to election integrity. Elections BC, for example, has partnered with the Media Ecosystem Observatory, a joint project of McGill University and the University of Toronto, to establish the British Columbia Election Misinformation Project (BCEMP). The BCEMP aims to inform British Columbians about election-related misinformation during the next general election. The project will respond to misinformation incidents with timely public reports detailing the incident’s content, spread and sources, especially focusing on the involvement of international actors.
As demonstrated by the extensive coverage of allegations concerning foreign interference in Canadian elections, media outlets have effectively heightened public awareness about these risks. This heightened awareness encourages citizens to think critically about the information they consume.
The media also play an important fact-checking role during political debates. Ultimately, the media’s commitment to accuracy, transparency, and responsible reporting is pivotal in countering disinformation and foreign interference, and in helping to maintain the integrity of democratic elections. They are also an important partner for election agencies in sharing accurate, non-partisan, and trusted information about the electoral process.
Elections BC works with a wide variety of provincial and federal agencies to protect our democracy. This includes working with the Ministry of Education and Child Care to support civic and digital literacy education in schools, and empower students to recognize and respond to disinformation. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC works to safeguard personal information, including personal information on the provincial voters list, and work with parties to protect personal information in their possession. Across the country, election management bodies collaborate by sharing expertise, lessons-learned, and strategies in addressing electoral integrity.
Voters are the most important part of our democracy. They play a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of elections. Staying informed by seeking information from reliable and diverse sources helps counter disinformation. This helps voters make informed choices based on accurate information.
Additionally, reporting potential Election Act violations to Elections BC strengthens electoral integrity. Anyone who suspects an Election Act contravention has occurred can make a complaint to Elections BC at anytime.
Voters who exercise their democratic rights are essential to maintain electoral integrity.
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