Election advertising and the 100 metre rule

General Voting Day for the 2020 Provincial General Election is on Saturday, October 24, and election advertising rules will be in effect.

Prohibited advertising

Election advertising in newspapers, magazines, on TV or on the radio is prohibited on General Voting Day. Paid election advertising on the Internet cannot be posted on General Voting Day, and existing internet messages cannot be changed on General Voting Day. Paid ads that are solely for the purpose of encouraging voters to vote in the election are allowed.

Distributing pamphlets, signs and posters is allowed if at least 100 meters away from voting places and district electoral offices. Canvassing voters in person or by phone is also permissible if done on a non-commercial basis by volunteers. 

These restrictions do not apply to:

• social media posts that are not sponsored or boosted,
• messages send out directly by a group to members, employees or shareholders,
• notices for events that the leader of a registered political party plans to attend,
• invitations to meet or hear the leader of a registered political party, or
• messages transmitted on the Internet for the sole purpose of encouraging voters to vote in the election.

Read our FAQs on election advertising for more information.

Election polls

On General Voting Day, the results of an election opinion poll or survey cannot be published until the close of all voting stations, unless those results were previously made available to the public.

Candidates at voting places

Candidates cannot be at a voting place except to vote. They must vote expediently, just like any other voter, and cannot campaign, greet voters, or thank candidate representatives at the voting place.

100 metre rule

The Election Act requires that during the campaign period, no election advertising or any material that identifies a candidate, registered political party or registered constituency association, may be posted, displayed or distributed within 100 metres of a district electoral office, unless by prior authorization of the district electoral officer, or a general voting place while voting is taking place.

Read more about the 100 metre rule.

Elections BC’s district electoral officers have the authority to remove, cover or obscure any material that contravenes the 100 metre rule.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the 100 metre rule please contact Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683 or Electoral.Finance@elections.bc.ca.

Complaints about campaigning within 100 metres of a voting place should be directed to your local district electoral officer.