Source: http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/266_2008
Timestamp: 2017-03-24 08:04:56
Document Index: 565099205

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 1', 'art 6', 'art 7', 'art 13', 'art 2', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 6', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 4', 'art 12', 'art 12']

Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act RegulationSearch Results | Clear Search | Previous (in doc) | Next (in doc) | Prev Doc | Next DocCopyright (c) Queen's Printer,	Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaLicenseDisclaimerB.C. Reg. 266/2008725/2008Deposited October 10, 2008Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 ActElectoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act RegulationNote: Check the Cumulative Regulation Bulletin	2015 and 2016for any non-consolidated amendments to this regulation that may be in
effect.[includes amendments up to B.C. Reg. 411/2008, December 11,
2008]ContentsPart 1 — Definitions and Application of Other Acts Generally 1Definitions 2Application of the Election Act generally 3Application of the Recall and Initiative Act generallyPart 2 — Funding for Groups 4Who may be the opponent or proponent group 5How to apply to be the opponent or proponent group 6Who may be a financial agent 7Selection of opponent and proponent groups 8Establishment of opponent and proponent groups 9Duties of financial agents 10Assistant financial agents 11Changes in financial agent 12Payments to opponent and proponent groups 13How public money may be used 14Repayment of unused public money 15Misused public money 16Reconsideration of repayment notice 17Other funding 18Rescission of designation of financial agentPart 3 — Conduct of Referendum 19Referendum proceedings 20Referendum voting to be on an electoral district basis 21Who may vote in the referendum 22Where a person may vote in the referendum 23Referendum ballots and voting 24Other referendum voting materials 25Information to be available 26Rules for accepting and rejecting referendum ballots 27Initial count proceedings 28Final count proceedings 29Referendum advertisingPart 4 — Offences 30Offences in relation to referendumSchedulePart 1 — Definitions and Application of Other Acts GenerallyDefinitions1 (1) In this regulation:"applicant" means an applicant to be the opponent group or proponent group;"director" in relation to an organization means(a)
an individual director of the organization, or(b)
if there are no individual directors of the organization, the principal
officers or principal members of the organization;"election ballot" means a ballot under the Election Act for the general election;"general election" means the general election required under the
Constitution Act to be held in May 2009;"public money" means money paid out under the authority of section 4 of the Act to be used for the purposes of opposing or supporting the single
transferable vote electoral system, and includes, for all purposes including repayment
of public money, any interest earned on the money;"referendum" means the referendum required under the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act to be held in conjunction with the general election;"referendum advertising" means advertising used during the referendum
campaign period to promote or oppose, directly or indirectly, a specific response in
voting in the referendum, but does not include(a)
the publication without charge of news, an editorial, an interview, a
column, a letter, a debate, a speech or a commentary in a bona fide periodical
publication or a radio or television program,(b)
the distribution of a book, or the promotion of the sale of a book, for no
less than its commercial value, if the book was planned to be made available to the
public regardless of whether there was to be a referendum,(c)
the transmission of a document directly by a person or a group to their
members, employees or shareholders, or(d)
the transmission by an individual, on a non-commercial basis on the
internet, or by telephone or text messaging, of his or her personal views respecting
the referendum;"referendum ballot" means a ballot for the referendum as described in
23 [referendum ballots and voting];"referendum campaign period" means, in relation to the referendum,
the period beginning on February 1, 2009 and ending at the close of general voting for
the referendum;"referendum contribution" means a contribution within the meaning of
"initiative petition contribution" under the Recall and Initiative Act, except that the contribution is made during the
referendum campaign period and in relation to the referendum;"referendum expense" means an expense within the meaning of
"initiative petition expense" under the Recall and Initiative Act, except that the expense is made in relation to the
referendum.(2) Subject to this regulation, the definitions in the Election Act apply to this regulation.Application of the Election Act
generally2 (1) Subject to any modifications made by this regulation, the following provisions
of the Election Act are adopted and apply to the referendum as if it were an election for a candidate in the general election:(a)
section 1 [definitions];(b)
section 41 [registration in conjunction with
voting];(e)
section 41.1 [registration in conjunction with voting if no
identification documents];(f)
section 41.2 [challenge of registration];(g)
Part 6 [Voting];(h)
Part 7 [Counting of the Vote], other than the
following:(i) section 123 [rules for accepting and rejecting ballots];(ii) section 124 [objections to the acceptance of a vote or the
rejection of a ballot];(iii) section 141 (1) (c) and (d) [candidates and candidates' agents may
be present at judicial recount];(iv) section 146 [return of the writ of election];(v) section 147 [report of results of election by chief electoral
officer];(vi) section 148 [by-election if tie vote];(i)
Part 13 [General], other than section
278 [enforcement of election expenses penalties].(2) Sections 276 [investigations and audits by chief electoral
officer] and 277 [complaints regarding contraventions] of
the Election Act apply in relation to any matter that may constitute a contravention of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act or this regulation.(3) For the purpose of applying provisions of the Election Act to the referendum in accordance with this regulation, the
expressions in that Act referred to in column 1 of the following table are to be read as
references to the indicated expressions in column 2 of the table:Column 1Election Act expressionsColumn 2to be read ascampaign periodreferendum campaign periodcandidateresponse to the referendum questionelectionreferendumelection advertisingreferendum advertisingregulationregulation under the Election Act or the
Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Actthis Actthe Election Act, the Electoral Reform
Referendum 2009 Act or a regulation under the Electoral
Reform Referendum 2009 ActApplication of the Recall and Initiative Act
generally3 For the purpose of applying provisions of the Recall and Initiative Act to the referendum in accordance with this regulation, the
references to the indicated expressions in column 2 of the table:Column 1Recall and Initiative
ActexpressionsColumn 2to be read asauthorized participantthe opponent group, the proponent group or both, as
applicableinitiative petition contributionreferendum contributioninitiative petition expensereferendum expenseinitiative petition periodreferendum campaign periodinitiative vote periodreferendum campaign periodinitiative petitionreferenduminitiative votereferenduminitiative advertisingreferendum advertisingopponentthe opponent group or a member of the opponent group, as
applicablepetitionreferendumproponentthe proponent group or a member of the proponent group, as
applicableregulationregulation under the Election Act, the Recall and Initiative Act or the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Actthis Actthe Election Act, the Recall and Initiative Act, the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act or a regulation under the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 ActPart 2 — Funding for GroupsWho may be the opponent or proponent group4 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an organization is eligible to be the
opponent group or proponent group if all of the following apply:(a)
the organization is not for profit;(b)
the members and directors of the organization are not compensated for being
members or directors of the organization;(c)
membership in the organization is voluntary and open to all;(d)
at least two-thirds of the directors of the organization have been residents
of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before general voting day for
the referendum.(2) An organization is not eligible if(a)
the organization is a political party or a constituency association, whether
or not the party or association is registered,(b)
any of the directors of the organization(i) is a candidate in the general election, including an individual who intends
to be a candidate in the general election,(ii) is an election official, voter registration official or member of the staff
of the chief electoral officer, or(iii) has been convicted, on or after May 12, 2002, of an offence under the
Election Act, the Recall and Initiative Act, the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act or a regulation under any of those Acts,
more than one-third of the members of the organization are not ordinarily
residents of British Columbia.How to apply to be the opponent or proponent group5 (1) An organization that wishes to be the opponent group or proponent group must
apply to the deputy attorney general in accordance with this section on or before
December 1, 2008.(2) An application must(a)
if the deputy attorney general specifies the form of the application, be in
that form,(b)
include the name of the organization and, if different from the name of the
organization, the proposed name of the opponent group or proponent group,(c)
include a statement of the organization's mandate or mission and, if
applicable, a copy of the organization's constitution and bylaws,(d)
include the mailing address and telephone number to which notices and other
communications under the Act may be delivered or made,(e)
include a list of the directors of the organization, including their names,
addresses and titles,(f)
include the name of the proposed financial agent for the
organization,(g)
include a statement that the applicant(i) opposes or supports, as applicable, the single transferable vote electoral
system, and(ii) intends to use, in accordance with this regulation, any public money
received under this regulation for the purposes of opposing or supporting, as
applicable, the single transferable vote electoral system,(h)
include information respecting the matters set out in section 7
(2) [selection of opponent and proponent groups],
include a written statement, signed by 2 directors of the organization, that
the information contained in the application is, to the best of their knowledge and
belief, true and complete.(3) An application is not complete unless the individual who is proposed as
financial agent files the following with the deputy attorney general on or before
December 1, 2008:(a)
his or her signed consent to act as financial agent if the organization that
proposed the individual is approved to be the opponent group or proponent group, as
his or her name, mailing address and telephone number;(c)
an address to which, if the individual is designated, notices may be delivered
to the financial agent or the opponent group or proponent group for whom he or she is
acting as financial agent;(d)
a signed statement that he or she is eligible to be a financial
agent.Who may be a financial agent6 An individual is eligible to be a financial agent unless any of the following
circumstances apply:(a)
any of the circumstances set out in section 4 (2) (b) (i), (ii) or
(iii)[who may be the opponent or proponent group];(b)
the individual is an undischarged bankrupt;(c)
on or after May 12, 2002, the individual has been disqualified from acting as a
financial agent under section 53 [effect of incurring expenses over initiative
petition financing limit], 56 [failure to file initiative petition
financing report], 79 [effect of incurring expenses over initiative
vote financing limit] or 82 [failure to file initiative vote
financing report] of the Recall and Initiative Act;(d)
on or after May 12, 2002, the individual has been convicted, in or out of
British Columbia, of an offence involving fraud;(e)
the individual has not been a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months
immediately before general voting day for the referendum;(f)
the individual does not have full capacity to enter into contracts;(g)
the individual is not 18 years or older on general voting day for the
referendum;(h)
the individual is not a Canadian citizen;(i)
the individual's designation as a financial agent is rescinded under this
regulation.Selection of opponent and proponent groups7 (1) As soon as practicable after December 1, 2008, the deputy attorney general must
assess the applications received under section 5 [how to apply
to be the opponent or proponent group].(2) An assessment under subsection (1) must, based on the information
contained in the applications, take into account all of the following
criteria:(a)
the eligibility of the organization under section 4 [who may be
the opponent or proponent group] to be the opponent group or proponent
group;(b)
the eligibility of the proposed financial agent under section
6 [who may be a financial agent] to be a financial
agent;(c)
the structure of the organization and the length of time for which it has been
established;(d)
the commitment of the organization to continue meeting the criteria set out in
the experience of the organization or its directors in conducting public
information campaigns;(f)
the capacity of the organization to conduct a public information campaign
across the province in relation to the referendum, including respecting(i) the Westminster model of parliamentary government,(ii) the current electoral system, and(iii) the single transferable vote electoral system;(g)
the extent to which members of the organization are actively involved in
delivering the mandate or mission of the organization.(3) The deputy attorney general may(a)
publish information respecting how the criteria set out in subsection
(2) may be assessed, and(b)
request one or more applicants to provide further information in respect of
how the organization or its directors meet the criteria set out in subsection
(2).(4) The deputy attorney general may approve as the opponent group one applicant that
the deputy attorney general is satisfied best meets the criteria set out in subsection
(2).(5) The deputy attorney general may approve as the proponent group one applicant
that the deputy attorney general is satisfied best meets the criteria set out in
(2).(6) In giving approval under subsection (4) or (5), the deputy attorney general
may approve the proposed name of the opponent group or proponent group, or require the
approved group to use another name.Establishment of opponent and proponent groups8 An organization is established as the opponent group or proponent group for the
purposes of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act when the deputy attorney general has done all of the following:(a)
give written notice to the organization approved under section
7 [selection of opponent and proponent groups] to be the
opponent group and the organization approved under that section to be the proponent
group(i) that the organization has been approved as the opponent group or proponent
group, as applicable,(ii) that the individual proposed as the financial agent for the organization has
the powers and duties of a financial agent, and(iii) of the name the organization is required to use when acting as the opponent
group or proponent group;(b)
forward to the chief electoral officer(i) a copy of the notice provided under paragraph (a), and(ii) the information received under section 5 [how to
apply to be the opponent or proponent group] from each approved
organization;(c)
publish the names of the opponent group, the proponent group and their financial
agents.Duties of financial agents9 (1) Section 34 (1) [general obligations of financial agent] of
the Recall and Initiative Act applies to financial agents for the purposes of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act except that, for the purposes of section 34 (1) (b) of the Recall and Initiative Act, public money received under this regulation must
deposited in a separate account from income received from other sources,
maintained in the account until used or repaid in accordance with this
regulation.(2) Financial agents must file financing reports with the chief electoral
officer.(3) Division 5 [Reporting] of Part 4 of the Recall and Initiative Act is adopted and applies, for the purposes of
financing reports under subsection (2) of this section, to the receipt and use
of public money under this regulation and referendum contributions and referendum
expenses referred to in section 17 [other funding] of this
regulation, except that(a)
despite section 50 (1) [initiative petition financing
report] of the Recall and Initiative Act, financial agents must file a financing report within 90 days after the end of the
referendum campaign period,(b)
the reference in section 50 (1) of the Recall and Initiative Act to the financial agent of the proponent must be read as a
reference to the financial agent of the proponent group,(c)
section 50 (2) (a) of the Recall and Initiative Act does not apply and instead the financing report must
include all incurred referendum expenses,(d)
for the purposes of section 50 (4) of the Recall and Initiative Act, if the chief electoral officer specifies a different
method of accounting to be used for the purposes of preparing reports, that method is
to be used instead of generally accepted accounting principles,(e)
for the purposes of section 50 (6) of the Recall and Initiative Act, the report must be available for one year after general
voting day for the referendum, and(f)
sections 50 (7) and 51 (d) and (e) of the Recall and Initiative Act do not apply.Assistant financial agents10 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), section
35 [assistant financial agent] of the Recall and Initiative Act applies to financial agents for the purposes of the
Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act.(2) A financial agent may authorize an individual to act as an assistant financial agent only if the individual(a)
is eligible under section 6 [who may be a financial
agent] to be a financial agent, and(b)
files the following with the chief electoral officer:(i) his or her signed consent to act as an assistant financial agent;(ii) his or her name, mailing address and telephone number;(iii) a signed statement that he or she is eligible to be a financial
agent.(3) The duties of a financial agent under sections 14 [repayment of unused
public money], 15 [misused public money] and 17 (3) and
(4) [other funding] of this regulation must not be delegated to an
assistant financial agent.Changes in financial agent11 (1) If the chief electoral officer rescinds the designation of a financial agent
18 [rescission of designation of financial agent], or
receives notice from an individual designated as a financial agent or a person acting on
that individual's behalf that the individual is unable or unwilling to act as financial
agent, the chief electoral officer may(a)
designate another individual as financial agent for the opponent group or
proponent group on whose behalf the financial agent was acting, and(b)
establish a process for selecting that other individual.(2) The chief electoral officer may designate another individual as financial agent
for the opponent group or proponent group if the chief electoral officer
receives(a)
from at least two-thirds of the directors of the organization notice
that(i) the proposed individual should be replaced, and(ii) another named and eligible individual is willing and able to act as
financial agent, and(b)
from the individual referred to in paragraph (a) (ii) of this
section the consent and information required under section 5 (3) [how to
apply to be the opponent or proponent group].(3) If another individual is designated as a financial agent under this section, the
former financial agent must immediately transfer to the newly designated financial agent
all public money, other money and records required to be kept under this
regulation.(4) Despite no longer being a financial agent,(a)
whether an individual is designated as a new financial agent or not, the
duties set out in section 14 (1) (c) [repayment of unused
public money] and 15[misused public money] continue to apply to a former financial
agent in respect of matters related to the period when that individual was a financial
agent, and(b)
if no individual is designated as a new financial agent, all of the duties in
(2) and (3)[duties of financial agents], 14 and 15
continue to apply to a former financial agent.(5) An assistant financial agent may continue to exercise powers and perform duties
during any transition period between financial agents.Payments to opponent and proponent groups12 After the opponent group and proponent group are established under section 8, but
not earlier than the start of the referendum campaign period, the chief electoral officer
may make one or more payments under section 4 [funding for opponent and proponent
groups] of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act as follows:(a)
no more than $1 000 000 may be paid, with $500 000 paid, in total, to the
opponent group and $500 000 paid, in total, to the proponent group;(b)
payments may be made to financial agents only.How public money may be used13 (1) For the purposes of this section:"disqualified person" means(a)
an organization that is not eligible under section 4 [who may
be the opponent or proponent group] to be the opponent group or
proponent group, or(b)
an individual described in section 4 (2) (b) (i),
(ii) or (iii);"member of the opponent group" or "member of the proponent
group" includes the financial agent and the assistant financial agent of
the opponent group or proponent group, as applicable.(2) A member of the opponent group must not use public money except for the purposes
of opposing the single transferable vote electoral system.(3) A member of the proponent group must not use public money except for the
purposes of supporting the single transferable vote electoral system.(4) A member of the opponent group or proponent group must not use public money for
the purpose of election advertising or making political contributions, even if the
election advertising or political contribution would be used to oppose or support the
single transferable vote electoral system.(5) A member of the opponent group or proponent group must not use public money in a
manner that a reasonable person would consider(a)
is primarily for the benefit of a disqualified person, or(b)
features(i) the name of a disqualified person,(ii) the face or voice of a disqualified person, or(iii) a slogan, a logo or another thing that is associated with a disqualified
person,regardless of whether the public money is also used to oppose or support the
single transferable vote electoral system.(6) A member of the opponent group or the proponent group must not use public money
except to do one or more of the following:(a)
to produce or sponsor and make available to the public, in any manner but
without charge to the public,(i) information or advertising by means of print or electronic media of any
kind, or(ii) materials that include printed information or advertising,but not to incur a capital expense;(b)
to hold or sponsor an event that any member of the public may attend without
charge, but not to incur a capital expense;(c)
to fund or recover administrative expenses incurred in relation to an activity
referred to in paragraph (a) or (b).(7) The chief electoral officer may issue directions respecting what is a capital
expense for the purposes of this section.Repayment of unused public money14 (1) A financial agent must repay to the chief electoral officer public money held by
the financial agent as follows:(a)
if the financial agent receives a notice of repayment under subsection
(3), repayment must be made in the amount and within the time stated by
the notice;(b)
if any public money is not used, repayment of the amount of unused public
money must be made(i) within 90 days of the end of the referendum campaign period, or(ii) if debts are outstanding or in dispute, such longer period as the chief
electoral officer permits;(c)
if, after repayment is made under paragraph (b), public money is
returned to the financial agent from any source, such as from a rebate or refund, the
amount of the returned public money must be repaid within 15 days of its
receipt.(2) The chief electoral officer may require a financial agent to repay all or part
of the unused public money held by the financial agent if the chief electoral officer
has reason to believe that any of the following grounds apply:(a)
the organization on behalf of which the financial agent is acting is not
eligible to be the opponent group or the proponent group;(b)
the person is not eligible to be a financial agent, or has contravened any
provision of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act or this regulation;(c)
the opponent or proponent group, or a member of either of these, on behalf of
which the financial agent is acting, has contravened any provision of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act or this regulation.(3) The chief electoral officer may require repayment under subsection
(2) by delivering to the financial agent a notice of repayment setting
the amount owed,(b)
the time in which the amount must be repaid,(c)
the reason for the repayment, and(d)
the manner in which repayment must be made.(4) If a financial agent does not repay public money in accordance with this
section, the amount that is not repaid is a debt due to the government by the financial
agent.Misused public money15 (1) If a financial agent has reason to believe that public money was used for a
purpose or in a manner contrary to section 13 [how public money may be
used], the financial agent must report to the chief electoral officer,
within 15 days of becoming aware that the public money may have been misused,(a)
the amount of public money that may have been misused,(b)
the reason the financial agent believes that public money may have been
misused,(c)
if known, the person who may have been responsible for the misuse,(d)
whether the public money that may have been misused has been repaid to the
financial agent, and(e)
any other information the chief electoral officer requires.(2) If the chief electoral officer has reason to believe that public money was used
for a purpose or in a manner contrary to section 13, the chief electoral
officer may require a financial agent to report to the chief electoral officer, within
the time stated by the chief electoral officer, the information required by the chief
electoral officer.(3) If the chief electoral officer has reason to believe that public money was, or
was likely, misused by the opponent group or the proponent group, or a member of either
of these, the chief electoral officer may require the financial agent of the opponent
group or proponent group to repay all or part of the amount that was misused.(4) For the purposes of subsection (3),(a)
the chief electoral officer may require repayment by delivering to the
financial agent a notice of repayment setting out(i) the amount owed,(ii) the time in which the amount must be repaid,(iii) the reason for the repayment, and(iv) the manner in which repayment must be made,(b)
the financial agent must repay the amount as required in the notice,
if(i) the chief electoral officer has reason to believe that the financial agent
knew or ought to have known at the time of disbursing public money that the public
money would be, or would likely be, misused,(ii) the chief electoral officer includes in the notice of repayment the reasons
for the belief in subparagraph (i), and(iii) the financial agent does not repay public money in accordance with this
subsection,the amount that is not repaid is a debt due to the government by the financial
agent.Reconsideration of repayment notice16 (1) A financial agent who receives a notice of repayment under section
14 [repayment of unused public money] or 15
[misused public money] may request the chief electoral officer to
reconsider the notice by submitting to the chief electoral officer(a)
a written request for reconsideration in the form required by the chief
electoral officer, and(b)
the reasons why the chief electoral officer should reconsider(i) the issuance of the notice,(ii) the amount set out in the notice, or(iii) the time for repayment set out in the notice.(2) After considering a request for reconsideration, the chief electoral officer may
confirm, rescind or vary the notice.(3) The chief electoral officer must provide written reasons for a decision to
confirm or vary the notice.(4) Following a decision made under subsection (2),(a)
if the notice is confirmed or varied, the financial agent must repay to the
chief electoral officer public money held by the financial agent in accordance with
the decision and, for this purpose, section 14 (4) or 15 (4)
applies, as applicable, and(b)
no further request for reconsideration may be made.Other funding17 (1) For the purposes of opposing or supporting the single transferable vote
electoral system, the opponent group and the proponent group may, through their
financial agents,(a)
receive referendum contributions in addition to public money received under
this regulation, and(b)
incur referendum expenses, to be paid from the referendum
contributions.(2) The following sections of Part 4 [Initiative Petition
Financing] of the Recall and Initiative Act are adopted and apply to referendum contributions and referendum expenses referred to in subsection
(1) of this section as if the referendum were an initiative
petition:(a)
Division 2 [Initiative Petition Contributions and
Expenses], except that the reference in section 39 (1) to an initiative
petition or draft Bill is to be read as a reference to the single transferable vote
electoral system;(b)
Division 3 [Making and Accepting Initiative Petition
Contributions], except that(i) section 41 (1) (c) (iii) does not apply,(ii) for the purposes of section 41 (1) (c), a referendum contribution in a
greater amount may be made, in addition to the means set out in section 41 (1) (c)
(i) and (ii), by means of a credit card in the name of the contributor or an
electronic transfer of funds from an account in the contributor's name maintained in
a savings institution, and(iii) the reference in section 44 (3) [prohibited contributions must be
returned] to the proponent must be read as a reference to the proponent
group, and the liability of the proponent must be read as a reference to the joint
and several liability of the members of the proponent group;(c)
section 46 (2) [restrictions on who may incur initiative petition
expenses];(d)
Division 6 [Penalties for Failure to Comply], except
that(i) sections 52 (1) (c) [publication of failure to comply],
53 [effect of incurring expenses over limit], 54 [court
order for relief from expenses limit], 56 (1) (a) (i), (b) and (2)
[failure to file initiative petition financing report] and 58
[false or misleading reports relating to an initiative
petition] do not apply, and(ii) for the purposes of section 56 (1) (a) (ii), the reference to the proponent
must be read as a reference to the opponent group or the proponent group, and the
persons who are members of the opponent group or proponent group are jointly and
separately liable to pay the penalty referred to in that provision.(3) A financial agent must, within 90 days of the end of the referendum campaign
period or, if debts are outstanding or in dispute, such longer period as the chief
electoral officer permits, pay to either a registered charity within the meaning of the
Income Tax Act (Canada) or the chief electoral officer for payment to the consolidated revenue fund all of the following held by the financial
agent:(a)
unused referendum contributions;(b)
money from referendum contributions that is returned to the financial agent
from any source;(c)
unused interest earned on the referendum contributions and money referred to
(a) and (b).(4) If a financial agent does not make payments in accordance with this section, the
amount that is not paid is a debt due to the government by the financial
agent.Rescission of designation of financial agent18 (1) If the chief electoral officer(a)
has reason to believe that a financial agent(i) is not eligible to be a financial agent, or(ii) has committed an offence under the Act or this regulation, or(b)
delivers to a financial agent a notice of repayment under section
[misused public money],the chief electoral officer may rescind the designation of the financial agent
by delivering to the financial agent a notice of rescission setting out the reason for
the rescission and the date on which it is to take effect.(2) A financial agent who receives a notice of rescission may request the chief
electoral officer to reconsider the notice by submitting to the chief electoral
officer(a)
the reasons why the chief electoral officer should reconsider the
rescission.(3) After considering a request for reconsideration, the chief electoral officer may
confirm, rescind or vary the notice.(4) The chief electoral officer must provide written reasons for a decision to
confirm or vary the notice.(5) Following a decision made under subsection (3),(a)
if the decision is to rescind an individual's designation, the designation of
the financial agent is rescinded on the date set by the chief electoral officer,
no further request for reconsideration may be made.(6) If the designation of a financial agent is rescinded, a new financial agent may
be designated under section 11 [changes in financial
agent] for the opponent group or proponent group on behalf of which the
financial agent was acting.Part 3 — Conduct of ReferendumReferendum proceedings19 (1) The referendum is to be conducted in conjunction with the 2009 general election,
in accordance with the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act and this regulation.(2) Subject to this regulation, the procedures for conducting the referendum voting
and counting are to be the same as the procedures for conducting the voting and counting
for the general election.(3) The chief electoral officer and other election officials responsible for the
general election proceedings are also responsible for the equivalent referendum
proceedings.Referendum voting to be on an electoral district basis20 The referendum is to be conducted in all electoral districts in British Columbia,
with the voting conducted separately for each electoral district in conjunction with the
election being held for the electoral district.Who may vote in the referendum21 An individual is entitled to vote in the referendum for an electoral district if
the individual is entitled to vote in the election for the electoral district.Where a person may vote in the referendum22 An individual may vote in the referendum(a)
at any voting opportunity at which the individual is entitled to vote in the
general election, or(b)
by alternative absentee voting under Division 5 [alternative absentee
voting] of Part 6 of the Election Act, if the individual is entitled to vote this way in the general
election.Referendum ballots and voting23 (1) The referendum ballots must be in the form established by the Schedule to
this regulation and must be printed in such a manner that, when completed and folded,
they are distinguishable from the election ballots.(2) An individual votes in the referendum by making a cross or tick mark in the
blank space provided on the referendum ballot opposite the response that the individual
wishes to give to the question on the ballot.(3) If the voting procedures require the use of a secrecy envelope that is to be
placed in a certification envelope, both the election ballot and the referendum ballot
must be placed in the same secrecy envelope.(4) In addition to the persons permitted to be present under section
93 [individuals who may be present at voting proceedings] of the
Election Act, one member of each of the opponent group and the proponent group, who is designated, in writing, for this purpose by the
financial agent of the opponent group or proponent group, may be present at a voting
station at a voting place.(5) A designation under subsection (4) must be in writing and
the name of the individual designated for the purposes of subsection
(4), and(b)
the voting stations and voting places for which the individual is
designated.(6) An individual designated by a financial agent under subsection
(4) is not a candidate representative for the purposes of applying the
Election Act to the referendum, but section 72 (1), (2) and (4) of that Act applies to the individual as if the individual were a candidate
representative.Other referendum voting materials24 (1) The ballot boxes for the general election are to be used for both the general
election and the referendum voting, with both election ballots and referendum ballots
being deposited in the same ballot boxes.(2) The voting books for the general election are to be used for both the general
election and the referendum.Information to be available25 (1) The chief electoral officer must ensure that information respecting the current
electoral system and the single transferable vote electoral system is available for
voters at each voting opportunity.(2) To the extent practicable, the chief electoral officer must ensure that the
information provided under subsection (1) does not support or oppose either
electoral system.(3) In addition to the information provided under subsection (1), the chief
electoral officer must make available for voters at each voting opportunity maps of the
electoral districts as under(a)
the current electoral system, and(b)
the single transferable vote electoral system as proposed by the Electoral
Boundaries Commission in its report dated February 14, 2008 entitled Amendments to the
Preliminary Report, as modified by the alternative proposal contained in Appendix P to
that report.Rules for accepting and rejecting referendum ballots26 (1) This section applies to referendum ballots in place of section
123 [rules for accepting and rejecting ballots] of the Election Act.(2) A ballot must be rejected if any of the following applies:(a)
the ballot physically differs from the ballots officially provided for the
voting proceedings for which the counting is being conducted;(b)
there is no mark referred to in subsection (3) on
the ballot is uniquely marked, or otherwise uniquely dealt with, in such a
manner that the voter could reasonably be identified;(d)
the ballot is marked as voting for more than one response to the referendum
question;(e)
the ballot does not clearly indicate the intention of the voter to vote for a
response to the referendum question.(3) Unless rejected under subsection (2), any of the following marks on a
referendum ballot is to be accepted and counted as a vote for the applicable response to
the referendum question:(a)
a cross in or partly in the blank space provided on the ballot opposite the
response;(b)
a tick mark that is placed in the location referred to in paragraph
a mark other than one referred to in paragraph (a) or (b)
that(i) is placed in the location referred to in paragraph (a),
and(ii) clearly indicates the intention of the voter to vote for the
response.Initial count proceedings27 (1) The initial counts of the votes on election ballots and referendum ballots in a
ballot box must proceed as follows:(a)
ballot accounts are to be prepared in accordance with section 120 (1)
(a) [proceedings on the initial count] of the Election Act, separately for election ballots and for referendum
ballots;(b)
the ballot box is to be opened in accordance with section 120 (1) (b) of the
Election Act;(c)	the certification envelopes are to be removed in accordance with section 120
(1) (c) of the Election Act;(d)	the election ballots are to be separated from the referendum
ballots;(e)
the election ballots and ballot account are to be dealt with in accordance
with section 120 (1) (d) and (e) of the Election Act;(f)
the election ballots and other election materials are to be packaged in
accordance with section 126 (1) and (2) [packaging and delivery of election
materials to district electoral officer] of the Election Act;(g)
the referendum ballots and ballot account are to be dealt with in accordance
with section 120 (1) (d) and (e) of the Election Act;(h)
the referendum ballots and other referendum materials are to be packaged in
accordance with section 126 (1) and (2) of the Election Act;(i)
the election and referendum ballots and materials are to be dealt with in
accordance with section 126 (3) and (4) of the Election Act, completing the requirements of section 120 (1) (f) of that
Act for both the election ballots and referendum ballots.(2) The individuals entitled to be present at an initial count for the referendum
the individuals who were entitled to be present at the equivalent initial
count for the general election, and(b)
one member of each of the opponent group and the proponent group who is
designated, in writing, for this purpose by the financial agent of the opponent group
or proponent group.(3) An individual who is entitled to be present under subsection (2) (b) is not a
candidate representative for the purposes of applying the Election Act to the referendum, but section 72 (1), (2) and (4) of that Act
applies to the individual as if the individual were a candidate
representative.Final count proceedings28 (1) The final counts of the votes on election ballots and referendum ballots for an
electoral district must proceed in accordance with section 132 [proceedings on
final count] of the Election Act, subject to the adaptations established by this section.(2) In considering certification envelopes under section 132 (1) (a) of the
Election Act, section 134 (1) [envelopes to remain unopened] of that Act also applies if the individual identified on
the envelope as using it to vote appears to be voting more than once in the
referendum.(3) The ballot accounts for each class of certification envelope under section 132
(1) (b) of the Election Act are to be prepared separately for election ballots and for referendum ballots, and separate ballot boxes
are to be used for election ballots and for referendum ballots to be considered on the
final counts after having been dealt with under section 132 (1) (c) of the Election Act and this section.(4) In dealing with certification envelopes under section 132 (1) (c) of the
Election Act, if a certification envelope contains a secrecy envelope and either an election ballot or referendum ballot outside the secrecy
envelope, the election official responsible must open the secrecy envelope to determine
whether there is a ballot in that envelope and then proceed as follows:(a)
if there is no ballot in the secrecy envelope, the election official must
place the ballot that was outside the secrecy envelope in the ballot box to be used
for the final count, with care to conceal any marking on the ballot from other
individuals present;(b)
if there is a single ballot in the secrecy envelope that is of the other type
(election or referendum) from the ballot that was outside the secrecy envelope, the
election official must place the ballots in the ballot box to be used for the final
count, with care to conceal any marking on them from other individuals
if there is a single ballot in the secrecy envelope that is of the same type
as the ballot that was outside the secrecy envelope,(i) the ballot from the secrecy envelope must be returned to the secrecy
envelope and that envelope sealed,(ii) the secrecy envelope and the ballot that was outside the secrecy envelope
must be resealed in the certification envelope,(iii) the certification envelope must be marked as having been dealt with under
this provision, and(iv) the certification envelope must remain unopened and the ballots in it must
not be considered on the final count;(d)
if there is more than one ballot in the secrecy envelope,(i) the ballots from the secrecy envelope must be returned to the secrecy
not be considered on the final count.(5) In dealing with certification envelopes under section 132 (1) (c) of the
Election Act, if a certification envelope contains 2 secrecy envelopes, the election official responsible must open both secrecy envelopes to
determine whether there are ballots in the envelopes and then proceed as
if there is a total of one ballot for the election and one ballot for the
referendum, the election official must place the ballots in the ballot box to be used
for the final count, with care to conceal any marking on them from other individuals
present;(b)
in any other case,(i) the ballots must be returned to the secrecy envelopes and the envelopes
sealed,(ii) the secrecy envelopes must be resealed in the certification
envelope,(iii) the certification envelope must be marked as having been dealt with under
not be considered on the final count.(6) The individuals entitled to be present at the final count for the referendum
the individuals who were entitled to be present at the equivalent final count
for the general election, and(b)
or proponent group.(7) An individual who is entitled to be present under subsection (6) (b) is not a
representative.(8) Following completion of the final count, the district electoral officer must
immediately inform the chief electoral officer of the referendum results for the
electoral district.(9) The chief electoral officer may make an application under section
139 [application for judicial recount] of the Election Act in relation to one or more electoral districts if, after the
end of the final count, the chief electoral officer considers that the results in an
electoral district or throughout the Province are sufficiently close to the thresholds
established by section 5 (1) [duty if referendum is binding] of the
Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act that a judicial recount is appropriate.Referendum advertising29 (1) Subject to subsections (2), (3) and (6), Part 11 [Election
Communications] of the Election Act is adopted and applies in relation to the referendum as if it
were an election for a candidate in the general election and, without limiting this,
that Part is adopted and applies to referendum advertising as if it were election
advertising in relation to an election for a candidate in the general
election.(2) The following provisions of Part 11 of the Election Act do not apply in relation to the referendum:(a)
section 228 as it relates to the definition of "election
advertising";(b)
section 232 [restriction on rates charged for election
Division 2 [Election Advertising Limits];(d)
section 239 (2) [registration exception for candidates, parties and
constituency associations];(e)
section 243 [reregistration];(f)
section 244 (3) [report filing exception for candidates, parties and
constituency associations];(g)
section 245 (1) (b) [contributions to be
disclosed].(3) Divisions 3 [Registration of Sponsors] and 4
[Disclosure of Independent Election Advertising] of Part 11 of the
Election Act do not apply to the opponent group or proponent group.(4) Referendum advertising must not, directly or indirectly,(a)
promote or oppose a registered political party or the election of a candidate,
form part of election advertising.(5) In place of section 245 (1) (b) [contributions to be
disclosed] of the Election Act, a report under that section in relation to referendum advertising must include the amount of referendum
contributions accepted by the sponsor during the referendum campaign period, reported in
accordance with subsections (2) to (4) of that section.(6) Despite subsection (4), candidates and registered political parties may engage in
referendum advertising and, for this purpose, the referendum advertising is deemed to be
election advertising under the Election Act.[en. B.C. Reg. 411/2008.]Part 4 — OffencesOffences in relation to referendum30 (1) Part 12 [Offences] of the Election Act, other than the provisions referred to in subsection
(2), is adopted and applies in relation to the referendum as if it were an
election for a candidate in the general election.(2) The following provisions of Part 12 of the Election Act do not apply in relation to the referendum:(a)
section 255 (6) [donations by candidate] and (7) (c) and
(d) [penalties related to holding office and voting];(b)
section 259 [offences in relation to
candidates];(c)
section 262 [offences in relation to the registration of political
parties and constituency associations];(d)
section 263 [offences in relation to election
financing].ScheduleReferendum Ballot[Provisions of the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act, S.B.C. 2008, c. 9, relevant to the enactment of this
regulation: section 8.]Copyright (c) Queen's Printer, Victoria, British