August 5, 2020 – Ensuring voters and election workers can vote and work safely at the polls this fall is a priority for Elections Saskatchewan. Informing voters and workers on these new safety measures is behind the current advertising campaign, “Voting safely is our priority.”

“A provincial general election is Saskatchewan’s largest event with more than 815,000 registered voters and more than 13,000 election workers,” says Dr. Michael Boda, Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan. “We want people to feel safe in participating in this event. Having an election during a pandemic means we need to make our polling locations safer and let the public know about these safety measures.”

The October 26, 2020 general election involves:

  • 815,189 registered voters (as of July 2020)
  • 13,000+ election workers (needed for returning offices, head office support, and at polls for 5 days of advance voting and election day Oct. 26)
  • 3,150 polling stations across province
  • 1,700 unique poll locations across province
  • 61 returning offices

“Over the coming weeks, you’ll see our voting safely message in a variety of ways, including traditional and new media, as we aim to reach out to all voters, whether it’s their first-time voting, or they cast a ballot in all elections.  I meet regularly with external experts, including the Chief Medical Health Officer, and as a result of these discussions we have put many new safety processes in place for this fall.”

Things voters will notice at advance and election day polls include:

  • Physical distancing—stay two metres (6 feet) apart
  • Clear dividers between voters and workers
  • A strong recommendation to wear a mask inside (all workers will wear masks)
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Surfaces in polling locations disinfected throughout the day
  • Single-use pencils for everyone (or voters can bring their own marking device if they choose)

Read more information about voting safely at: www.elections.sk.ca/votesafely.

Elections Saskatchewan (ESK) is the province’s nonpartisan election management body and an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. ESK directs and supervises the administration of provincial electoral events, including the 2020 provincial election.

Information for voters, workers, media, candidates and parties at www.elections.sk.ca.

For more information contact:

Tim Kydd
Senior Director, Outreach & Communications
Elections Saskatchewan
306.537.9211
[email protected]