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During an election
Strata owners and councils often have questions during the campaign period leading up to a federal, provincial, or municipal election. The most common questions are about signs and whether the strata must allow canvassing in a strata building or on the strata property.
Canvassing in strata properties
Many strata owners in buildings with controlled access don’t realize that they must allow access to candidates and authorized canvassers during the campaign period. Don’t get upset. The legislation allows them to be in your building and knock on doors!
Section 228.01 of the BC Election Act says a strata corporation or individual acting on behalf of a strata corporation must not unreasonably restrict access to residential property by a candidate or an authorized canvasser for the purposes of canvassing voters and distributing candidate information from 9 am to 9 pm during the campaign period. An “authorized canvasser” means an individual authorized in writing by a candidate to canvass voters and distribute candidate information on the candidate’s behalf.
If requested by a resident, council member or manager, a candidate or authorized canvasser must produce government-issued photo identification and either proof of candidacy or a candidate’s written authorization to canvass voters and distribute candidate information.
Election signs
Many stratas have bylaws about signs. However, there are exceptions for election signs.
Residents can display “advertising posters” in their strata lot. For example, that could be a poster in the window of a condo unit, or a lawn sign on a bare land strata lot.
The details are in section 228.1 of the BC Election Act. The strata can’t prohibit a resident from displaying election advertising posters in their unit. However, strata bylaws can set conditions such as the size of the sign and can prohibit displaying them in common areas such as a lobby or the lawn.
Election Act s. 228.1:
Tenant and strata election advertising
(1) A landlord or person acting on a landlord’s behalf must not prohibit a tenant from displaying election advertising posters on the premises to which the tenant’s tenancy agreement relates.
(2) A strata corporation or a person acting on behalf of a strata corporation must not prohibit the owner or tenant of a strata unit from displaying election advertising posters on the premises of the owner’s or tenant’s unit.
(3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), a landlord, a strata corporation or a person acting on behalf of a landlord or strata corporation may
(a) set reasonable conditions relating to the size or type of election advertising posters that may be displayed on the premises, and
(b) prohibit the display of election advertising posters in common areas of the building in which the premises are found.
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