29th Electoral Cycle Communique for Chief Official Agents, Issue Forty-Five

Close of Nominations & Next Steps

Close of Nominations

The nomination period for Saskatchewan’s 29th General Election came to an end at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

  • 236 candidates have had their nomination papers accepted by our Returning Officers;
  • This is a decrease from 2016, which had a record number of 268 candidates nominated.

I would like to ask you to please pass along my genuine thanks and appreciation to each of your candidates. Placing your name on the ballot as a candidate in an election is one of the most important acts of public participation that anyone can make and deserves the highest respect in our society. Only 61 individuals are able to successfully move forward as Members of the Legislative Assembly but each candidate contributes to the exchange of ideas and thoughts which are vital to our democratic way of life.

To see a compete list of all nominated candidates, visit our website at https://www.elections.sk.ca/ candidates-political-parties/candidates/official-candidates/.

Next Steps – Ballot Printing

With the close of the nomination period, our focus turns to the printing of ballots. This election, for the first time, we have centralized much of the ballot printing with several larger printers. This should allow for more consistent processes and results. Over the next several days, our team, both in head office and in the field, will be inspecting and reviewing ballot proofs before signing off on printing.

Next Steps – Legislated Advertising

Section 51 of The Election Act, 1996 requires Elections Saskatchewan to publish certain information related to the election in local newspapers. This information includes:

  • The names, political affiliations (if any) and addresses of the candidates nominated;
  • The name of the business managers of each candidate; and
  • The polling day and the hours during which voting will take place.

Advertisements will run in Regina and Saskatoon dailies on October 17. In areas covered by weekly newspapers, these ads will run throughout the week of October 19 depending on the newspaper’s publication day.

Upcoming Deadline and Key Dates

Just a few quick reminders of upcoming deadlines and key dates:

  • 12 – Thanksgiving, Returning Offices closed. Contact head office for assistance if needed;
  • 15 – Last day for candidates not resident in constituency they are running in to be able to complete process allowing them to vote in new constituency. See Communiques issued September 29 and October 6 for more information;
  • 15 – Last day for general public to register online or by phone. Any voter can still register at the time of voting;
  • 15 – Last day for Elections Saskatchewan to receive Vote by Mail, Homebound, or Absentee (Returning Office) applications;
  • 20 to 24 – Advance Voting from 12 noon to 8 p.m. each day. Please encourage candidate representatives and others who may be busy on election day to vote at an advance poll;
  • 26 – Election day. Polls open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Spread of COVID-19

Finally, just a brief mention that our team is very closely monitoring the situation with COVID-19 in various parts of the province. In situations or locations where the spread of the disease will threaten voters’ access to the ballot, I may need to authorize alternative or modified voting arrangements. At all times, my guiding principles will be preserving the security and integrity of our system while ensuring eligible voters can cast their ballot. Should circumstances warrant changes to our traditional voting arrangements, I will inform you as soon as possible, through a Communique. I appreciate your understanding and cooperation during what will surely be an unprecedented election for the province.  

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Boda
Chief Electoral Officer
Province of Saskatchewan