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This is the second posting of a series about how the BC Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA) will impact the upcoming elections, from the perspective of John Whistler, the Financial Agent for the Green Party of Vancouver.

This posting will look at reporting periods, jurisdictions and expense limits. These are details that confuse and mislead the public which lead to a cynicism of the electoral process.

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The LECFA has three reporting periods:

• Election Period – begins on January 1 of an election year and ends 29 days before voting day. In the case of a by-election, the Election Period begins the day the elected office becomes vacant.
• Campaign Period – subject to expense spending limits – begins 28 days before voting day and ends at the close of voting on voting day.
• Not-applicable Period – a non-voting year or after the close of voting in a voting year. The LECFA is not-applicable for this period, disclosures are not required and contribution limits do not apply for most activities for electoral organizations.