Elections BC > Events & Services > Recall > Making a Contribution for a Recall

Making a Contribution for a Recall

Individuals who wish to make a contribution to a recall campaign must follow the rules under the Recall and Initiative Act. The rules are outlined below and apply to contributions of money, property or services.

These rules apply to all contributions made to the recall petition proponent, a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) who is the subject of a recall petition, or a recall advertising sponsor, regardless of whether a recall petition has been submitted to Elections BC.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact:

Provincial Electoral Finance
Elections BC
1-800-661-8683
electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca

What is a recall contribution?

A recall contribution is any money, property or services provided without compensation by way of donation, advance, deposit, discount or otherwise to an authorized participant in relation to a recall petition.

An authorized participant includes the proponent (the registered voter organizing the recall campaign) and the MLA subject to the petition.

What is a recall sponsorship contribution?

A recall sponsorship contribution is any money, property or services provided without compensation by way of donation, advance, deposit, discount or otherwise to a recall advertising sponsor, whether the contribution is provided before or after the advertising occurs.

A recall advertising sponsor is any individual or organization, other than an authorized participant, that sponsors recall advertising. Recall advertising includes petition period and non-petition period advertising that directly promotes or opposes the recall of a member. If a recall advertising sponsor becomes an authorized participant, any sponsorship contributions that have not been used for non-petition period advertising are deemed to be recall contributions on the date the petition period begins.

Who can make a contribution in relation to a recall petition?

You can only make a contribution in relation to a recall petition if you:

  • are a resident of B.C.,
  • are either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and
  • confirm and consent to the sponsor or authorized participant using your contribution for the recall campaign.

Corporations, unions and organizations are not permitted to make recall or sponsorship contributions. They are also prohibited from reimbursing eligible individuals who make contributions.

A contributor confirmation and consent is a written declaration that includes the contributor’s full name and address. The declaration must also affirm that the contributor is an eligible individual and that they consent to their contribution being used for recall expenses or advertising.

Contributors may submit a letter with this information or may use our sample consent form.

A contributor may provide confirmation and consent at the time the contribution is made or up to 24 months after making the contribution.

If a contributor does not provide confirmation and consent, the contribution is prohibited and cannot be used by the authorized participant or the recall advertising sponsor.

Can I be reimbursed for my contribution?

No. Recall contributions and recall sponsorship contributions must be made using an individual’s own money or property. These contributions cannot be made indirectly with the money or property of another person, or be reimbursed by another person.

How much can I contribute?

For 2021, you can give a total of $1,268.07 to each recall advertising sponsor, the proponent and the MLA who is the subject of the recall.

This amount does not increase if a recall advertising sponsor is conducting advertising in more than one electoral district.

Your contributions to an MLA who is the subject of a recall, combined with your contributions to related entities, must not exceed the contribution limit. Related entities include:

  • the MLA as a candidate or nomination contestant
  • the political party or constituency association the MLA represents
  • the MLA as a recall advertising sponsor

If two or more recall advertising sponsors work together to sponsor recall advertising, they must not use sponsorship contributions from a single contributor that exceed the contribution limit.

The contribution limit is adjusted at the start of each calendar year. See previous amounts in the table below.

Calendar year Contribution limit
2021 $1,268.07
2020 $1,253.15
2019 $1,225.17
2018 $1,200.00

Will my contribution be reported publicly?

If you contribute more than $250 in total, the details of your contribution(s) must be disclosed in the financial disclosure reports filed by the proponent, MLA or recall advertising sponsor. Financial disclosure reports are published in the Financial Reports and Political Contributions (FRPC) system.

When a recall petition is underway, contribution data is available through our recall contribution spreadsheet (Excel).

Will I get a tax receipt?

Income tax receipts cannot be issued for contributions made to a recall advertising sponsor, a recall proponent, or an MLA in relation to their recall campaign.

Are there any other restrictions I should know about?

  • Cash contributions must be $100 or less.
  • Contributions over $100 must be made by cheque, money order, credit card or electronic transfer.
  • There are serious penalties for breaking the contribution rules established by the Recall and Initiative Act, including monetary penalties of up to double the amount of the contribution made in contravention of the rules.