𝐖𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬?

In 2017, BC changed the rules for local election campaign financing by banning contributions from corporations, unions and out-of-province donors, while also placing limits on individual campaign contributions. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

The records shown here are from the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. They show that multiple individuals connected to the same company each donated the maximum allowable amount to four of the same candidates. Many of those donations were also made on the same day. (Records are arranged by donation date and colour-coded.)

𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥, this type of contribution pattern raises the question of whether it reflects the intent of the 2017 campaign finance rule changes that prohibit corporate contributions.

Because campaign contribution reports are not made public until after elections, voters don't know who contributed to candidates' campaigns before they cast their ballots.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞?

Ask candidates whether they'll voluntarily disclose their campaign donations before Election Day.

𝐿𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝐵𝐶'𝑠 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑆𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚