Local elections enforcement discussion paper

The enforcement of B. C.’s local election rules must also be understood in the context of two different types of election management activities: elections administration; and the oversight of campaign participants. [...] Through legislation, the Province has established a basic framework for the administration of local elections in the Local Government Act, the Vancouver Charter, and the School Act. [...] The Enforcement Continuum The term enforcement is often used to refer to the process of investigating and prosecuting those who have committed offences against the law. [...] Various participants (including the Ministry of Community and Rural Development [the Ministry] and the Local Government Management Association of British Columbia [LGMA]) publish information and provide training to help local governments and the public understand the rules that govern the local government system. [...] There are two significant differences between the local government and the provincial spheres in the enforcement of rules directed at campaign participants: the Province’s CEO has a clear mandate to enforce provincial elections legislation; and the Provincial CEO has a bundle of tools that help to monitor compliance.