Political parties are organizations that have a primary purpose to elect candidates to the Legislative Assembly. Anyone can form a political party, but only parties registered with Elections BC can appear on a ballot, issue tax receipts, and incur election expenses. Some registered political parties are identified as major political parties, as they are eligible to appoint representatives to the Election Advisory Committee.
To register a political party, visit our Registration page and see our list of current registered political parties.
Political parties must advise Elections BC as soon as possible of the date of a leadership contest. For more information, visit the Leadership Contestants page.
Political Parties must also notify Elections BC of a nomination contest within 14 days. For more information, visit the Nomination Contestants page.
Political parties must also file financial disclosure statements and reports. See our Financial Agents and Forms pages. Financial information is published through our Financial Reports and Political Contributions System.
Political parties must file annual financial reports with Elections BC detailing their finances, including campaign contributions received and all expenditures incurred. If you have questions, contact us at electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca or 1-800-661-8683, or watch the annual financial report training session video below.
A voluntary Political Campaign Activity Code of Practice has been established for provincial political parties in British Columbia. Signatories to the code commit to fair campaigning principles that ensure a level playing field between electoral campaigns and balance the role of political parties in the electoral process with the protection of individual privacy. Read the code here.
Elections BC regularly sends electronic newsletters to registered political parties containing information about Elections BC’s activities and upcoming events.
Elections BC holds information sessions for political parties on a semi-regular basis. The primary focus of these sessions is to brief political party representatives on recommendations for legislative change, new legislation, significant events, and recent developments in election administration.
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electionsbc@elections.bc.ca
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