Review by legislative committee finds 2024 B.C. election was fair and accurate

VICTORIA — A review by legislators on the 2024 British Columbia provincial election has found that the vote was “administered fairly, accurately and transparently,” although the group has issued 48 recommendations on improvements.

The joint special committee on democratic and electoral reform released its report Thursday recommending the streamlining of election administration as well as improving public awareness of election processes.

New Democrat Jennifer Blatherwick chaired the special committee and says in a statement that the group is confident in the integrity of B.C.’s elections and the work of Elections BC, while it recognizes the need to “counter misinformation and disinformation about how elections are conducted.”

Conservative member Ward Stamer, the committee’s deputy chair, says the recommendations are needed to uphold the accessibility of B.C.’s voting model, while maintaining election integrity.

The recommendations include requesting Elections BC to “pre-emptively address misinformation and disinformation” through education and awareness campaigns while making verification easier and more efficient.

The report also calls for Elections BC to address challenges posed by artificial intelligence, including assessments of chatbot models’ accuracy as well as the support for “civil society experimentation” with AI to help voters understand the democratic processes.

“To strengthen enforcement, members recommend authorizing the chief electoral officer to issue administrative production orders and require corrective action for communications violating the act’s misinformation and disinformation provisions,” the report says.

However, the work is not Elections BC’s alone, it says.

“We all have a collective responsibility to engage in this work to support a vibrant democracy.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2026.

The Canadian Press