BC Ballot / Glossary
Glossary
Letters
A
- absent
- Absent means the member did not vote in that division; the record does not say why. On bcballot.ca: How MLAs voted · MLAs Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 8 (Standing Order 16)
- advance voting
- Six days of voting late in the campaign, ahead of Final Voting Day, for any voter at any advance voting place. Also called early voting. On bcballot.ca: Advance voting · How to vote Election Act, RSBC 1996 c. 106 s. 76
B
- BCTF
- The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, the union BC law deems the certified bargaining agent for the teachers employed by boards of education, with exclusive authority to bargain collectively for them. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms Public Education Labour Relations Act, RSBC 1996 c. 382 ss. 5 and 6
- by-election
- An election in one electoral district on its own, to fill a seat that fell vacant between general elections. On bcballot.ca: By-elections Constitution Act, RSBC 1996 c. 66 s. 35
C
- candidate
- A person whose nomination documents have been accepted for filing, from then until the writ is returned. On bcballot.ca: Next BC election · Election dates Election Act, RSBC 1996 c. 106 s. 63
- casting vote
- The vote the Speaker uses to settle a tie, the only vote a Speaker takes. On bcballot.ca: Minority government · How MLAs voted Constitution Act, RSBC 1996 c. 66 s. 44
- caucus
- The private meeting of the members who sit under one party label, where they settle their position on what is coming up. On bcballot.ca: What an MLA does · Seats by party Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 3 s. 3.8
- CBSA
- The Canada Border Services Agency, the federal agency responsible for border services. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms Canada Border Services Agency, About the agency
- Committee of Supply
- Every member but the Speaker, sitting as a committee to go through what each ministry proposes to spend. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law · Minority government Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 12 (Standing Order 60)
- Committee of the Whole
- The whole Assembly sitting as one committee to go through a bill clause by clause, with every member free to question it and move amendments. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 11
- committee section
- A sitting of Section A or Section C, which takes part of the House into a committee room while the Chamber carries on. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law · What an MLA does Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 12 (sections of the Committee of Supply)
- confidence
- The support of a majority of the Legislative Assembly, which a government needs to stay in office; a government that loses a vote of confidence is normally expected to resign or ask for an election. On bcballot.ca: Minority government · Seats by party Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 1 s. 1.4
- credibility interval
- A measure of precision some pollsters state for an online poll in place of a margin of error; it rests on a statistical model and not on random sampling. On bcballot.ca: Election polls American Association for Public Opinion Research, Understanding a credibility interval
D
- decided voters
- The people a poll surveyed who named a party; party shares given of decided voters leave out those who were undecided or stated no preference. On bcballot.ca: Election polls Ipsos, BC poll release, October 1, 2026
- deferred division
- A division put off to a fixed time later in the day, so the vote is taken then rather than when it was called. On bcballot.ca: How MLAs voted Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 8 (Standing Order 16(4))
- DEI
- Diversity, equity and inclusion. The Government of Canada’s terminology guide defines diversity as the variety of identities within an organization, group or society, equity as considering people’s unique experiences and differing situations and making sure they have access to the resources and opportunities they need for just outcomes, and inclusion as measures that make people feel welcomed, respected and valued. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms Government of Canada, Guide on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Terminology
- dissolution
- The end of a Parliament, which stops every item of business and sends the members to an election. On bcballot.ca: When the writ drops · Election dates Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.14
- district electoral office
- The office Elections BC opens in each district for an election, where a voter can register, get a ballot or hand in a mail package. On bcballot.ca: How to vote · Where to vote Elections BC: ways to vote
- DRIPA
- The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, a BC law passed in 2019 whose stated purposes include affirming that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples applies to the laws of British Columbia. On bcballot.ca: What DRIPA is · Party platforms Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, SBC 2019 c. 44 s. 2
E
- electoral district
- The area that elects one MLA, which Elections BC calls an electoral district and most people call a riding. On bcballot.ca: Ridings map · Find your riding Electoral Districts Act, SBC 2023 c. 15 s. 1
- electoral quotient
- The provincial population divided by the number of districts, the figure a boundaries commission measures each district against. On bcballot.ca: Riding boundaries in 2024 · Ridings map Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, RSBC 1996 c. 107 s. 9
F
- Final Voting Day
- The last day of voting in an election, when voting places are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Pacific time. On bcballot.ca: Election dates · Where to vote Election Act, RSBC 1996 c. 106 s. 27
- FINTRAC
- The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the federal financial intelligence unit, which works against money laundering and the financing of terrorist activity. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms FINTRAC, Mandate
- first reading
- The introduction of a bill, where the Assembly decides only to take it up for debate later. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law · How MLAs voted Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.4
H
- HPOA
- The Health Professions and Occupations Act, a BC law passed in 2022 that regulates health professions and occupations; anyone acting under it must act to protect the public from harm and discrimination. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms Health Professions and Occupations Act, SBC 2022 c. 43 s. 14
I
- IVR
- Interactive voice response: a survey taken by automated phone call. On bcballot.ca: Election polls 604 Polling, BC provincial election poll, July 31 to August 8, 2026
K
- Ksi Lisims
- Ksi Lisims LNG, a project to build and operate two floating liquefied natural gas structures at Pearse Island in northwestern BC, developed in partnership by the Nisga’a Nation, Rockies LNG Limited Partnership and Western LNG. The province issued its environmental assessment certificate in September 2025, with 23 conditions. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms · Smaller parties’ platforms Government of BC, Environmental assessment certificate granted for Ksi Lisims LNG project (September 15, 2025)
L
- Lieutenant Governor
- The Crown's representative in British Columbia, who calls and ends a Parliament and gives royal assent to bills. On bcballot.ca: When the writ drops · How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 1 s. 1.3
- LNG
- Liquefied natural gas: natural gas cooled to minus 162 degrees Celsius, which turns it into a liquid. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms Government of BC, Liquefied Natural Gas
M
- margin of error
- How close a survey of a random sample is expected to come to the figure for the whole population, most often stated as plus or minus so many points, 19 times out of 20. On bcballot.ca: Election polls Pew Research Center, Understanding the margin of error in election polls
- minority government
- A government whose own party holds fewer than half the seats and needs members from outside it to carry a vote. On bcballot.ca: Minority government · Seats by party Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 1 s. 1.4
- MLA
- A Member of the Legislative Assembly, the one person each electoral district elects to sit for it in Victoria. On bcballot.ca: MLAs · Who is my MLA? Constitution Act, RSBC 1996 c. 66 s. 18
N
- nomination
- The filing that puts a person on the ballot: nomination documents received by the district electoral officer before nominations close. On bcballot.ca: Election dates · Next BC election Election Act, RSBC 1996 c. 106 s. 56
O
- online panel
- A pool of people a polling firm has recruited to answer surveys online; the respondents of an online poll are drawn from it. On bcballot.ca: Election polls Leger, BC election polling release, September 2026
P
- private member
- Any MLA who is not in Cabinet, whatever party they sit with. On bcballot.ca: What an MLA does · MLAs Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.2.2
- prorogation
- The end of a session, which clears the business waiting on the Order Paper without ending the Parliament. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 5 s. 5.3
R
- recall
- A petition by voters in one district to remove their MLA between elections, which needs more than 40 percent of those entitled to sign. On bcballot.ca: How recall works Recall and Initiative Act, RSBC 1996 c. 398 Part 3
- recorded division
- A vote in the Legislative Assembly where the bells ring, every member in the room votes, and each name goes into the record. On bcballot.ca: How MLAs voted Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 8 (Standing Order 16)
- report stage
- The short step where a bill comes back to the Assembly from committee, with or without the changes made there. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.4
- royal assent
- The Lieutenant Governor's approval, which turns a bill the Assembly has passed into an Act of the province. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.9
S
- SAFER
- Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters, a BC Housing rent supplement for lower-income renters aged 60 or older. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms BC Housing, Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters
- second reading
- The stage where members debate whether they agree with a bill in principle, before anyone goes through it section by section. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law · How MLAs voted Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.4
- SOGI
- Sexual orientation and gender identity. In BC schools the term covers the codes of conduct and policies that name them, and SOGI 123 is the name of a set of resources for schools. On bcballot.ca: Party platforms Government of BC, joint statement on support for SOGI, September 16, 2022
- solemn declaration
- A statement of who you are and where you live, signed in front of an election official and carrying the weight of an oath. On bcballot.ca: How to vote Elections BC: voter ID
- Speaker
- The member the Assembly elects to preside over it, who keeps order, stays out of debate and votes only to settle a tie. On bcballot.ca: Minority government · How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 4
- Standing Orders
- The written rules of procedure the Assembly sets for itself and can change by its own vote. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 2 s. 2.4
- supply
- The Assembly's permission for the government to spend public money, which every provincial dollar needs before it can go out. On bcballot.ca: Minority government · How a bill becomes law Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 12
T
- third reading
- The last vote a bill takes in the Chamber, after the committee work is finished. On bcballot.ca: How a bill becomes law · How MLAs voted Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, ch. 10 s. 10.4
U
- UNDRIP
- The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007. On bcballot.ca: What DRIPA is · Party platforms United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs: the Declaration
W
- Where to Vote card
- The card Elections BC sends to registered voters, listing the advance voting options in their district and their assigned voting place for Final Voting Day. The Election Act, section 96, also lets a voter vote at another voting place. On bcballot.ca: Register to vote · Where to vote Elections BC: where to vote
- writ
- The order that starts an election in a district and fixes the day voting ends. On bcballot.ca: When the writ drops · Election dates Election Act, RSBC 1996 c. 106 s. 26