Calling all New Democrats – the deadline to join the provincial party in time to cast a vote in the leadership contest is 11:59 p.m. Monday.
And that’s just for online memberships.
Members using paper applications must hand them in to the provincial office no later than 5 p.m.
There are five candidates vying to take over the reins of the B.C. NDP – MLAs Mike Farnworth, John Horgan, Harry Lali and Nicholas Simons, and pro-marijuana activist Dana Larsen.
Media reports say Vancouver-Kingsway MLA Adrian Dix is expected to throw his hat into the ring Monday afternoon at an event in his riding.
The new rules allow every member to cast a single vote for leader. There is no leadership convention.
Instead, the party will conduct the election by phone and online on April 17.
“Detailed voting rules will be developed in the coming weeks,” says the party website.
NDP provincial secretary Jan O’Brien called new rules governing the nomination process “thoughtful, fair and transparent.”
But Lali has criticized the $15,000 entrance fee and $175,000 spending limit by candidates as being too high.
“We are the New Democratic Party of British Columbia, not the Republican Party of the United States of America,” he complained last week.
The executive also set leadership election rules limiting individual donations at $2,500 and requiring all donors of more than $250 to be named on a list that must be made public prior to voting on April 17.
“The leadership rules committee produced a set of thoughtful, fair, and transparent candidate nominations rules that will help set the stage for an exciting leadership election,” O’Brien said in a news release.
Candidates will be able to file their nomination papers up to Feb. 28.
“All candidates will be subject to the same approval process as MLAs, which requires final sign-off by the party’s provincial executive,” said the release.
On Feb. 26, the B.C. Liberals will elect a new party leader, who will become premier-elect.
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