2021 British Columbia electoral redistribution

An electoral redistribution in British Columbia was undertaken by the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission in 2021. On October 21, 2021, the Government of British Columbia appointed Justice Nitya Iyer, Linda Tynan and Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman to serve as the 2021 commissioners. Justice Iyer was appointed the chair.[1]

The commission is required to complete redistricting every two election cycles.[2] The final number of provincial electoral districts, and thus seats in the next legislature, will not be known until redistricting has occurred.[2] The commission is required to complete its preliminary report by October 21, 2022, and its final report six months later.[1]

In May 2021, the government introduced legislation that removed a requirement that no reduction in seats could be considered for certain rural regions.[3] Attorney General David Eby said the changes were necessary to ensure the commission was independent and had the flexibility to recommend boundaries that provide effective representation.[3][4] The legislation also permits the legislature to grow to up to 93 seats.[5]

In February 2022, the commission opened public consultations for the redistribution.[6][7] Public hearings were scheduled and public submissions were open until May 31, 2022.[7] Following the release of its initial report in October 2022, further consultations occurred.[6] Its final report was released in April 2023.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Electoral Boundaries Commission members appointed". news.gov.bc.ca. Ministry of Attorney General. October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Electoral Boundaries Commission". elections.bc.ca. Elections BC. 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b McElroy, Justin (May 11, 2021). "B.C. to add up to 6 new MLAs next election — but seats could be reduced in the Interior". CBC News. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Pilon, Dennis (May 28, 2021). "Making B.C. electoral boundaries commissions more independent". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Follett Hosgood, Amanda (May 27, 2021). "BC Is Changing Electoral Boundaries Again. Who Will Benefit?". The Tyee. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Preprost, Matt (February 22, 2022). "Electoral boundaries survey now open". Alaska Highway News. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  7. ^ a b BC Electoral Boundaries Commission (2022). "Your Voice". British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  8. ^ https://bcebc.ca/final-report/