Election Advertising on the Internet

Editor's Note -- although I just heard of this late last week, this will be welcome news for the provincial election campaign some 6 months from now, the forthcoming School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) Zone 7 By-Election in January 2017 and the mandatory local government elections in October of 2018

Courtesy of Elections BC

August 12, 2016

Elections BC has a new interpretation of election advertising on the Internet. This interpretation applies to both local and provincial electoral events conducted under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act and the Election Act. This interpretation is also consistent with that established by Elections Canada for federal elections.

Election messages transmitted over the Internet are election advertising only if they meet the applicable definition of election advertising and have, or would normally have, a placement cost.

A placement cost is the cost of purchasing election advertising space on a social media site or other website. For example, the costs of placing banner ads, pre-roll videos or ads on Facebook or other social media sites are placement costs. The costs related to creating, maintaining and posting messages on a website are not placement costs.

Messages without placement costs on the Internet, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media posts, YouTube videos, emails and websites are not election advertising.

This interpretation applies to non-election assent voting advertising, initiative advertising and recall advertising as if it were election advertising.

Questions?

For more information:

Phone toll-free 1-800-661-8683
Mailing address:  PO Box 9275 Stn Prov Govt  Victoria  BC   V8W 9J6
Phone:  250-387-5305 Fax:  250-387-3578 Toll-free Fax:  1-866-466-0665
Email:  electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca
Website:  elections.bc.ca