Return to the Writs
Although election-related processes will continue for some time yet, as per legislation, the Writ period for Saskatchewan’s 28th Provincial Election will formally come to end on Wednesday, April 27. Our 61 Returning Officers will send a package, by registered mail, to my office, including the official Writ of Election as well as a signed document confirming the winning candidate in their constituency. To facilitate the appointment of incoming MLAs, I have asked ROs to each send me images of these documents so that I can officially communicate the winning candidates to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly in a timely manner. I anticipate doing so by the end of business on April 27.
Security of Voters Lists
On Thursday, April 14, I included a reminder in my Communique to you about the importance of protecting and responsibly managing voters lists. I would like to reiterate that point.
You will be aware that The Election Act, 1996 requires the Chief Electoral Officer to take all reasonable steps to protect against unauthorized use of a voters list. Over the past year, I have been intentional in my approach to managing the security of voters lists and the personal information that the Saskatchewan public entrusts with my office. In the coming months, I intend to be in contact with all of you to roll out a plan for how we can move forward into the 29th electoral cycle in regard to voters lists and the protection of personal information.
Interviews with Leaders and COAs
In early February, I was in contact with the leaders of the six registered political parties to inform them that, following the election, Dr. Michael Atkinson from the University of Saskatchewan would be in contact to arrange post-event interviews (you should have received a “cc” of that letter). I simply wanted to let you know that Dr. Atkinson is beginning the process of making formal contact with all of you to arrange these interviews. I have asked Dr. Atkinson to do this work as he is an experienced academic who will bring an “outside perspective” to the process and will be able to present the results in an unbiased, professional manner.
I am hopeful that Dr. Atkinson will be able to schedule two separate discussions: one with the leader of your party and another with you, in your role as Chief Official Agent. These interviews are a key component of our larger assessment project and as key stakeholders, I place tremendous value on your input. As you well know, a general election is a major event that only takes place once every four years – your feedback and impressions will be important information for Elections Saskatchewan as we move forward.
Candidate Survey
Following the Return to the Writ and the end of the election period, I intend to make contact with your candidates for election and their business managers and provide them with a short survey on their experience as it relates to the role of Elections Saskatchewan in administering the election. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete and will be invaluable to us as we evaluate the 28th General Election and begin our preparations for the 29th.
If you are speaking with or in contact with any of your candidates or business managers, I would ask that you encourage them to respond to the survey. This work is being managed by the Social Sciences Research Laboratory (SSRL) at the University of Saskatchewan – the email containing the survey invitation will be from Jason Disano, the director of the SSRL.
RPP Annual Filing Deadline – Monday, May 2, 2016
Just a short reminder that all registered political parties must submit their annual returns before the end of the month. As April 30 is a Saturday, the deadline for this filing has been extended to Monday, May 2. If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Jennifer Colin at Jennifer.Colin@elections.sk.ca