Did you know that B.C.'s political parties can theoretically spend $18.2 million each vying for your vote before May 14? That is, of course, if they can raise the coin.

It works out to $5.95 per voter, according to the calculations of watchdog group IntegrityBC, whose executive director Dermod Travis laid out the math in an op-ed piece. B.C's official pre-campaign spending limits kicked in on Feb. 15, and as of that day, Travis writes,

"B.C.'s political parties are now restricted to spending no more than $1.15 million each and their 85 candidates a combined $6.2 million before the actual election writ is dropped in April, at which point they'll be able to spend a further $4.6 million and their candidates another $6.2 million.

"Compare that $5.95 to what candidates at the federal level can spend. In the 2011 federal election, candidates could spend $2.07 for each of the first 15,000 voters in their riding, $1.04 for each of the next 10,000 and 52 cents for each of the remaining voters. Their party could spend a further 70 cents for every voter in every riding where they ran a candidate.

"For Vancouver Centre that would have translated into $100,555 for the candidate and a further $70,000 for the party. Nothing to sneeze at, but all of $1.71 per voter.

"By way of a provincial comparison, Quebec just lowered -- lowered -- its spending limit from $11.5 million to $8 million or $1.35 per voter. A province with twice the number of registered voters has an overall limit that is less than half the limit in B.C."

The cash doesn't have to be spent "equally" on voters either, Travis points out. Parties can strategically spend money where they think it'll win them the most votes. The question is, will it have the desired effect? Travis doesn't think so:

"One of the other unfortunate consequences of narrowcasting campaign resources on fewer and fewer voters, is a steady decline in voter turnout, as more and more voters feel they've been taken for granted or just plain ignored."

The full op-ed, including link to source material, is here.

Robyn Smith reports for The Tyee.