Allegations of Foreign Election Interference in Surrey's Municipal Election

Doug McCallum, a mayoral candidate in Surrey, has called for a federal investigation into alleged foreign election interference. He claims a network of at least six Facebook pages, posing as local news, is being operated from India and funded in Indian rupees. The pages target voters in Surrey, Delta, and Vancouver, promoting content that amplifies the current mayor, Brenda Locke, without disclosing the funding sources. The Safe Surrey Coalition has urged CSIS, the RCMP, Elections BC, and local police to investigate this matter. McCallum asserts that this constitutes foreign interference in the upcoming municipal election scheduled for October 17. The allegations are based on records from Meta's advertising tools, identifying the funding source as an entity linked to the Government of India's research facility. The coalition argues that this activity may violate local election financing laws. As of now, the allegations have not been independently verified.

Key Points: • Doug McCallum alleges foreign interference in Surrey's municipal election. • A network of six Facebook pages funded from India is accused of targeting local voters. • The Safe Surrey Coalition is calling for investigations by multiple Canadian authorities.