HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

1 Section 1 of the Election Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 106, is amended by adding the following definition:

"provisional voter registration" means the voluntary registration of individuals aged at least 16 and only becoming an active registration on an individual’s 18th birthday; .

2 Section 31 is amended by adding the following subsection:

(3) An individual who

(a) is at least 16 years of age; and

(b) otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote may register on a provisional basis and that provisional voter registration, pursuant to this subsection, shall be deemed effective as of the date the individual turns 18 years of age

(i) if the information in the provisional registration is still current at that time, or

(ii) if the information provided in the provisional registration is not current at the time that the registration would otherwise become effective, for his or her registration to become effective, the individual shall provide the current information to Elections BC.

 
Explanatory Note

This Bill amends the Election Act in response to a recommendation made by the Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia to increase youth participation in provincial elections by allowing provisional voter registration of individuals when they are 16 years of age.