Election Advisory Committee

EAC Composition and Role

EAC Meetings

Form - Appointment of Election Advisory Committee Representative

EAC Composition and Role

The composition and role of the Election Advisory Committee is established by sections 14, 15 and 16 of the Election Act. The following is from the Election Act, 1996, RSBC Chapter 106.

Part 2
Division 2 - Election Advisory Committee

Establishment of Election Advisory Committee

14 (1) The Election Advisory Committee is established, consisting of the following:
(a) the chief electoral officer, as chair of the committee;
(b) 2 representatives appointed for each registered political party that is represented in the Legislative Assembly;
(c) one representative appointed for each registered political party that had candidates in at least 1/2 of all electoral districts at the immediately preceeding general election and is not represented under paragraph (b).

(2) A member of the Legislative Assembly is not eligible to be a member of the committee.

(3) The appointment of a representative of a registered political party to the committee must be made in writing, signed by 2 principal officers of the political party and delivered to the chief electoral officer.

(4) An appointment under subsection (3) may be rescinded in the same manner.

(5) Unless earlier rescinded, an appointment under subsection (3) ends 30 days after the date set under section 26 (2)(c) for the return of writs for the next general election.

(6) Representatives appointed under subsection (3) must be reimbursed by the chief electoral officer for their reasonable travelling and out of pocket expenses necessarily incurred while discharging their duties.

(7) An individual may be reappointed to the election advisory committee.

Meetings of the committee

15 (1) Meetings of the committee may be called at any time by the chief electoral officer.

(2) If requested in writing by at least 1/3 of the members of the committee, the chief electoral officer must call a meeting of the committee as soon as reasonably possible.

(3) The proceedings of the committee must be conducted in accordance with any applicable regulations.

(4) The chief electoral officer must:
(a) ensure that the minutes of the committee are made public after each meeting of the committee, and
(b) include in the annual report under section 13(1)(a) the minutes of the committee for meetings during the applicable year.

Role of committee

16(1) The role of the committee is to advise the chief electoral officer on the functioning of this Act, particularly regarding the provisions of this Act that relate to the financing of the political process.

(2) The chief electoral officer must consult with the committee as follows:
(a) periodically regarding the application of this Act;
(b) before publishing a notice under section 3 respecting the application of an amendment to this Act;
(c) before making a recommendation under section 12 (2)(a) respecting an amendment to this Act or another enactment;
(d) [Repealed 2003-96015];
(e) before making a regulation at any time other than during the election period for a general election.

(3) No recommendation or other decision of the committee is binding on the chief electoral officer.

EAC Meetings

March 5, 2010
Review of proposed legislative amendments to the Election Act, recommendations for amendments to the Recall and Initiative Act, public policy matters for consideration - Election Act, Constitution Act, Electoral Boundary Commission Act, Recall and Initiative Act, Referendum Act.

November 18, 2008
Changes to legislation, revisions to Regulations, new voting area boundaries, Political Party Information Session.

June 13, 2007
Single transferable vote (STV) election administration - research update, BC Electoral Boundaries Commission update, future focus of EAC meetings, political party information sessions.

January 19, 2007
Legislation update, voters list data content, financial reporting (searchable political contributions database, quality of financial reporting), results of post-election investigations, BC Electoral Boundaries Commission update

May 9, 2006
BC-STV design and implications; Political party platforms on Elections BC’s website; CEO Report on Recommended Legislative Changes.

February 8, 2006
Consultation on recommended legislative changes.

December 14, 2005
Role of the Election Advisory Committee; Throne Speech implications; post election processing and reporting; the legislative amendment process; and previous recommendations for legislative change.

January 28, 2005
Changes to electoral finance rules since 2001; standing nomincations; political party endorsement of candidates; Elections BC’s general election website; ethical conduct issues contact and party platform statement; update on the referendum on electoral reform; access to shape and base map files; draft Elections BC product price list and related policies.

September 24, 2004
Online Voter Registration; voters list during election - printed/electronic; update on voting area redistribution; voting place selection review; the standing nomination process; and innovations for the Surrey-Panorama by-election.

April 6, 2004
Review of statistics on decline in voter participation; political party platform information on Elections BC’s website; Political party code of conduct; an update on Legislative amendments; and voting area redistribution.

October 16, 2003
Review of Fall 2003 and Spring 2004 recommendations for legislative amendments to the Election Act; review of Nomination kits and Candidate kits; and policy review on Voters List Data Content.

September 4, 2003
Review of recommended legislative changes to the Election Act; report on Elections BC/Elections Canada Voters List

May 1, 2003
Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld’s first meeting with EAC committee members; approach to enumeration and voter registration; regulation required for citizens’ assembly on electoral reform; recent legislative changes to the Election Act.

June 7, 2002
Review of recommendations for amendments to the Election Act in the Chief Electoral Officer’s report on the 2001 General Election.

March 6, 2001
Elections BC activity overview (minutes not included in 2001 annual report).

No meetings held in 2000

September 14, 1999
Overview of the Electoral Information System, redistribution, constituency association deregistration/registration, consequential amendments re: redistribution, enumeration.

November 30, 1998
Meeting at request of Green Party re: exclusion from televised debate by the CBC.

May 22, 1997
Continuation of review of recommendations for amendments to the Election Act.

April 14, 1997
Review of recommendations for amendments to the Election Act in the Chief Electoral Officer’s report on the 1996 General Election.

January 29, 1996
Final financing forms, financing regulation re: s. 203(1)(i), Candidate’s kits, nomination forms.

November 29, 1995
Review of draft election financing forms, political parties and voter registration, nomination procedures.

August 22, 1995
First meeting; role of committee, over of Elections BC.


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