Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman has submitted a report to the Legislative Assembly recommending changes to the Election Act.
The report recommends updating the Act to ensure British Columbia’s electoral process stays fair and transparent in the era of digital campaigning.
The report also recommends taking proactive measures to protect British Columbia’s electoral process from cyber threats to electoral integrity that have occurred in other jurisdictions.
These threats include coordinated disinformation campaigns, foreign interference, and anonymous digital advertising.
“As British Columbians work to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I know that currently there are other, much more pressing priorities for the Legislative Assembly,” said the Chief Electoral Officer.
“But, I encourage legislators to take proactive steps to safeguard our electoral process before the province’s next provincial election, currently scheduled for October 16, 2021”.
The report’s recommendations fall under three themes:
Fairness
1. Prevent misleading advertising, disinformation and impersonation
2. Prevent foreign and out-of-province interference
Transparency
3. Require transparency around the use of social media bots
4. Expand the scope and transparency of third party advertising requirements
5. Require online registries of election ads
Compliance
6. Ensure timely digital platform compliance with the Election Act
If adopted by the Legislative Assembly, these recommendations would give Elections BC tools to effectively regulate digital campaigning and mitigate the risks of cyber threats to electoral integrity.
“These recommendations will ensure our electoral legislation is fit-for-purpose in the 21st century,” said Chief Electoral Officer Boegman.
“While many provisions in current legislation are equally effective regardless of whether campaigning is analog or digital, certain aspects should be changed to ensure our regulatory framework is effective in today’s digital environment.”
The threats described in the report have not been widely observed in a provincial election in BC yet, and for that, the province is fortunate adds Boegman.
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