First meeting of Electoral Advisory Group takes place

June 5, 2020 – The Chief Electoral Officer announced today that the first meeting of the Electoral Advisory Group took place earlier this week.

Consistent with recent recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to the Premier of Saskatchewan and the Legislative Assembly, the advisory group offers the CEO an opportunity to receive public health advice from the Chief Medical Health Officer on the viability of conducting an October 26 general election, given the likely presence of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  It also affords Government and Opposition House Leaders an opportunity to hear this advice and provide the CEO with comments on it. 

“This meeting was a good first step in ensuring that I better understand the key challenges facing Saskatchewan as we prepare for our next general election,” said Dr. Michael Boda, Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan. “A general election is one of the largest events that takes place in our province and is challenging to administer under ideal circumstances. It will be even more challenging in light of the presence of COVID-19.”

The group is not a decision-making body, but one mechanism that will inform the public recommendation the Chief Electoral Officer is committed to provide in September to the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the viability of calling the election for the time set in legislation.  The recommendation will be based on public health advice received from the Chief Medical Health Officer and informed by electoral stakeholders, including voters, political party participants, and the more than 12,000 election officials required to conduct a general election.

The group consists of:

  • Michael Boda, Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer;
  • Saqib Shahab, the province’s Chief Medical Health Officer;
  • The Honourable Jeremy Harrison, Government House Leader; and
  • Cathy Sproule, Opposition House Leader.

The group’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in July.

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
tim.kydd@elections.sk.ca