Proclamation, Preliminary List, VBM Information and Other Updates
Proclamation
The election proclamation, while perhaps not as valuable as it was in the pre-internet days, remains a valuable source of information about an election event. It includes constituency maps, polling locations and details on voting times and returning office contact information. While our returning officer is responsible for providing copies of the proclamation to candidates, I wanted to send a copy to you as well.
I have attached a copy of the election proclamation to this communique. It can also be found on our website in the Athabasca By-Election section.
Preliminary Voters List and Vote by Mail Information Available on FTP Site
A preliminary voters list for Athabasca will be made available to those parties endorsing candidates in the by-election. In addition, as during the last General Election, we are able to provide daily information on voters whose applications for a Vote by Mail ballot have been approved.
The voters list and daily VBM extracts will be made available to you on our FTP site. If you do not have a user account or if you cannot remember your login/password, contact Son Lu, IT Analyst, at [email protected].
Expense Limits
Expense limits for 2022 have been updated and posted to our website at https://www.elections.sk.ca/candidates-political-parties/electoral-finance/expenditures-and-election-expense-limits/. This includes the expense limits that will be in effect for the Athabasca by-election. Questions on expense limits can be directed to Aaron Thompson, Director of Finance, at [email protected].
Upcoming Deadlines
A short reminder of two upcoming deadlines. Friday, January 28 is the deadline for registered political parties to comply with the requirements of section 226 of The Election Act, 1996. Registered political parties are required to update (or confirm) the information in the register of political parties and to inform us how you wish the name of the party or its abbreviation (or both) to appear on the ballot and other election documents.
The end of the nomination period is at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 29. As I said a few days ago, the Chief Electoral Officer cannot provide an extension to this deadline so please ensure your potential candidates are aware.
CEO Orders
In order to administer a successful by-election during the COVID-19 pandemic, certain adaptations to The Election Act, 1996 (the Act) are required. These adaptations can be broken down into two categories – first, changes required to protect against and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and second, changes required to ensure the efficiency and stability of the election system as a result of the pandemic – and will be made using the authority in section 7 of the Act.
Section 7(3)(a) of the Act requires that the Chief Electoral Officer give notice to every registered political party when the authority contained in section 7 is used. Please accept the attached CEO Order along with this Communique as that notice. I would also ask that you communicate this information to your candidates, staff, and other party officials. One new CEO Order is attached:
CEO Order 2022-008 Absentee Voting (Vote by Mail) and Homebound Voting: This CEO Order allows Elections Saskatchewan to modify the existing absentee voting provisions of the Act to implement a greatly expanded, centralized Vote by Mail (VBM) process. This Order also clarifies that VBM processes, including the adjusted deadline of February 2, will apply for homebound voting. This Order does not contain adapted rules for candidate representatives at VBM processes – that will be provided in a future CEO Order.
Questions on CEO Orders should be directed to Aaron Thompson at [email protected]. All CEO Orders are also posted on our website here: https://www.elections.sk.ca/candidates-political-parties/bulletins-circulars/.
Dr. Michael Boda
Chief Electoral Officer
Province of Saskatchewan
All information related to the Athabasca by-election can be found online at www.elections.sk.ca/athabasca.