Saskatchewan’s 30th General Election Begins
Writs of Election Issued
Earlier today, I received an order-in-council instructing me to issue the writs for Saskatchewan’s 30th General Election to the province’s 61 constituency returning officers. This is always an historic activity as it formally begins our general election.
Even now, my team is preparing the writs of election for my signature before they are sealed with the Seal of the Province of Saskatchewan. After that, we will provide each returning officer with a scanned copy of their writ via email and courier the official documents to their returning office.
I know that this will be a busy and challenging month for you, your candidates and everyone involved with your registered political party. Please know that our team at Elections Saskatchewan, both in the constituency office and at head office, is here to serve you and to assist you in any way we can. I look forward to engaging with you throughout the next month.
Returning Office Locations
Attached is a document listing office address and contact information for all 61 returning offices in the province. These offices will now open to serve voters, candidates and financial agents. Office hours for all 61 locations will be:
Returning offices are closed on stat holidays, meaning they will not be open on Monday, October 14 for Thanksgiving. Our senior leadership team will be available to help on that day if required.
Election Calendar
An election calendar showing key dates in the election period is attached. If you would like hard copies or if you have any questions about the dates shown on the calendar, please contact Richard Hall at richard.hall@elections.sk.ca and he’ll be able to help.
Nomination Deadline
As shown on the election calendar, the nomination deadline for candidates is Saturday, October 12 at 2 p.m. I would strongly advise that you contact your candidates and encourage them to submit their nomination packages well in advance of this deadline and that they contact their constituency returning officer to set up an appointment to review the package and to clarify and questions or issues. The Election Act, 1996 does not provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the authority to provide an extension to the nomination deadline.
In the lead up to the nomination deadline, we will update the list of officially nominated candidates daily, shortly after 6:00 p.m. That list will be available on our website beginning tomorrow evening at: https://www.elections.sk.ca/candidates/.
Update to Register of Political Parties – Section 226
Section 226 of The Election Act, 1996 required registered political parties to update (or to confirm) the information found in the register of political parties within ten days of the writs of election being issued. The leader or chief official agent of a party must also inform the Chief Electoral Officer as to how they wish the name of the party or its abbreviation (or both) to appear on the ballot and other election documents. This is also an opportunity for your party leader to designate a representative to endorse candidates for the election if they wish to do so.
This notice can be completed using the E-515 “Confirmation of Party Details/Designation of Representatives for an Election Period” form, which is attached and can also be found on our website here. Please submit this form to Jennifer Colin (Jennifer.colin@elections.sk.ca) before 5:00 p.m. on October 11, 2024.
I will send one more reminder of this requirement closer to the deadline. Contact Aaron Thompson at aaron.thompson@elections.sk.ca if you have questions on this process or on the requirement to inform the CEO as to how your party should appear on the ballot.
Candidates who Live Outside Constituency
In my communique to you dated September 20, 2024, I provided information on how a candidate who does not reside in the constituency in which they are running can register and vote in that constituency. Section 16(5) of The Election Act, 1996 provides this ability for candidates, as well as their spouse and dependents (who must live with the candidate and be eligible voters).
The form that your candidates can use to facilitate this process has been included as part of the nomination package that each candidate must complete. We must receive this form by Saturday, October 12 or we cannot process these changes to the voters list. If you or your candidates have questions about how this process works, please contact Jennifer Colin at the email address above.
Voting Locations
You and your candidates will be eager to see where the assigned voting locations are for all 61 constituencies. Our team, both at head office and throughout the entire province, has worked hard to finalize details, make lease arrangements and ensure all is in order. Attached you will find a spreadsheet listing voting locations throughout the province. Any changes to these voting locations will be posted to our website – I will share the link with you when its available.
Dr. Michael Boda
Chief Electoral Officer
Province of Saskatchewan