Elector Organizations

Elector organizations promote candidates in local elections. They are also called civic political parties. Anyone can form an elector organization, but only elector organizations registered with Elections BC can endorse candidates, receive campaign contributions and incur election expenses.

New rules for elector organizations

New campaign financing rules for elector organizations came into effect on December 1, 2021.

• Elector organizations are required to register with Elections BC in order to:
  • Endorse a candidate in an election
  • Receive a campaign contribution
  • Incur an election expense
• When registering with Elections BC, elector organizations are required to disclose all campaign contributions not previously reported.
• Contributions received for any use are considered campaign contributions. This means elector organizations are no longer permitted to accept contributions to their non-campaign accounts, including contributions from organizations such as corporations and trade unions.
• Registered elector organizations must file annual financial reports with Elections BC detailing their finances, including campaign contributions received and all expenditures incurred.

How to register an elector organization

To register an elector organization, see the registration forms for elector organizations, and read the Guide to Elector Organization Registration. If you have questions, contact us at electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca or 1-800-661-8683, or watch the video below for more information.

 

List of elector organizations

Elections BC maintains a list of the elector organizations currently registered, suspended or deregistered in the province. The list is updated on an ongoing basis and is available at the link below.

• List of elector organizations (PDF)

Other requirements

Elector organizations file endorsement documents with both their Local Chief Election Officer and Elections BC during an election. If approved, the elector organization’s ballot name as registered with Elections BC will appear on the ballot beside their endorsed candidate’s name.

Elector organizations in local elections:

• Must open a separate campaign account per jurisdiction and use it for all financial transactions.
• Must have a campaign financing arrangement with each of their endorsed candidates.
• Can only accept campaign contributions from someone who is a resident of B.C. and either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Must file annual financial reports with Elections BC detailing their finances, including campaign contributions received and all expenditures incurred.

There are limits for campaign contributions. For more information, see of Making a Campaign Contribution page and our local elections Forms and Guides.

Elector organizations’ financial disclosure statements are published and publicly available through our Financial Reports and Political Contributions system.