May 25, 2015 – Elections Saskatchewan is getting ready for the 28th General Election by registering all eligible voters in advance of election day.
Provincial legislative changes in 2014 now allow Elections Saskatchewan to create and maintain a permanent register of voters. The first step in this process is registering all eligible Saskatchewan voters. The majority of federally registered voters were added to the provincial register without the need for a province-wide, door-to-door enumeration.
Elections Saskatchewan mailed letters to over 428,000 addresses to confirm information on about 800,000 potential voters living in these households. In addition, door-to-door enumeration will be conducted in 202 polling divisions within the province.
“We’re evolving the enumeration process in our province,” says Dr. Michael Boda, Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer and head of Elections Saskatchewan, the provincial election management body. “Registering voters is key to conducting elections. It ensures that only those who are eligible are permitted to vote.
“Most voters will receive a letter from us in the mail over the next week. If the information in the letter is correct, there’s nothing for the voter to do. If a voter’s information needs updating, there are instructions on how to do this either online, by phone or by mail.
“In some neighbourhoods, such as ones with high mobility or new residential development, our election officers will be going door-to-door in June to ensure that no one is missed.”
Elections Canada created a National Register of Voters in 1997 and has maintained information on registered voters in Saskatchewan for the past 18 years. An information sharing agreement was signed between Elections Canada and Elections Saskatchewan earlier this year. This agreement formalizes the secure transfer of voter information between these two institutions. This information will be used to maintain and update the federal and provincial registers in a secure manner.
“With this permanent register in place, we can now produce a voters list prior to each provincial election or by-election without having to rely on a more costly and less accurate door-to-door enumeration,” says Dr. Boda. “This makes it easier for the voter, and contributes to the improved delivery of an election.”
You are eligible to vote in Saskatchewan if you are 18 years or older, a Canadian citizen and have resided in Saskatchewan for six months or longer. There are also special eligibility rules for Canadian military personnel, students and British subjects. More information and videos on voter eligibility are available at www.elections.sk.ca/voters.
The 28th General Election is set, by law, for November 2, 2015. If there is a conflict with a federal election at that time, the alternative date for Saskatchewan’s election is April 4, 2016.
“The provincial election is coming, and we’re getting ready now,” says Dr. Boda. “If you’re an eligible voter, it’s important to be on the official voters list. An up-to-date list speeds up the voting process for everyone on election day.
“Count yourself in!”
Elections Saskatchewan is the province’s independent, impartial, professional election management body. Given a mandate from the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly, it organizes, manages and oversees provincial electoral events.
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For more information contact:
Tim Kydd
Senior Director
Communications & Outreach
Elections Saskatchewan
[email protected]
(306) 787-7355