FAQ
What is the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission?
The Commission is an independent and non-partisan panel with a mandate to review and make proposals for provincial electoral districts in B.C.
Who is the Commission?
Under the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, the Commission is composed of a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal who is nominated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, a person who is not an MLA or employee of the government and is nominated by the Speaker after consultation with both parties, and the Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia.
The members of the current BC Electoral Boundaries Commission were appointed on October 21, 2021:
- Justice Nitya Iyer of the Supreme Court of British Columbia (Commission Chair)
- Linda Tynan, Local Government Advisor
- Anton Boegman, British Columbia’s Chief Electoral Officer
What does the Commission do?
The Commission makes proposals to the Legislative Assembly on the area, boundaries, and names of provincial electoral districts. The Commission may propose creating up to six new electoral districts and may recommend changes to the boundaries or names of existing electoral districts. It considers population change and other geographic and demographic factors in making its proposals.
What is the Commission proposing?
The Commission is proposing six additional electoral districts in areas of the province that have experienced rapid population growth and are anticipated to continue growing. It proposes creating an additional electoral district in each of the following areas:
- Langford
- Kelowna
- Langley
- Burnaby
- Surrey
- Vancouver
It is also proposing adjustments to the boundaries of 72 electoral districts and changes to 41 electoral district names.
The full recommendations can be found in the final report.
Does the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission review electoral district boundaries for federal elections in BC?
The Commission only reviews electoral district boundaries for provincial elections in B.C. Federal and provincial electoral districts in B.C. are separate and distinct from one another.
A separate federal commission recently completed its review of the boundaries for federal electoral districts in B.C.
Is the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission the same organization as Elections BC?
No, the Commission is a separate organization from Elections BC, but it receive some administrative and technical support from Elections BC.
When does the Commission conduct its review?
The Commission had one year from the date of appointment (Oct. 21, 2021) to prepare its preliminary report, which contained initial recommendations for change. Upon publishing the preliminary report (Oct. 3, 2022), the Commission had an additional six months to receive input from the public and MLAs on the initial recommendations and to produce a final report for the Legislative Assembly.
The Commission published its final report on April 3, 2023.
How can I provide input to the Commission?
Public input is now closed. The Commission concluded the public input phase of its process on Nov. 22, 2022.
The Commission wholeheartedly thanks the many British Columbians who took the time to share their thoughts.
What happens next?
The publication of the final report marks the end of the Commission’s process. It is now the responsibility of the Legislative Assembly to decide whether to accept all, some or none of the Commission’s recommendations.