31st Electoral Cycle Communique for Chief Official Agents, Issue Four

 

By-Election Directives & June 16 RSVP

By-Election Directives

For Elections Saskatchewan, by-elections provide an opportunity to maintain and build upon the administrative practices used during general elections while ensuring the province remains in a constant state of election readiness. As Elections Saskatchewan continues to prepare for the 31st General Election, scheduled for October 2028, it is my intention that any intervening by-election be administered, to the greatest extent possible, using the same procedures and technologies we successfully deployed during the 30th General Election.

Under section 5.1 of The Election Act, 1996 (the Act), the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has the authority to test “alternate procedures, equipment or technology” during a by-election. This authority is exercised using CEO Directives; however, before those Directives may be implemented, the CEO must provide notice to the Board of Internal Economy (BOIE), as well as the province’s registered political parties, at least four weeks before the by-election’s writ of election is issued.  

To be clear, there is currently no vacancy in the Legislative Assembly, and no by-election is scheduled or required.

However, in order to provide planning certainty and maintain operational readiness, I am today providing both the BOIE and you, as a registered political party, with a set of CEO Directives that will be in effect for any by-election that occurs four weeks or more after the date of this letter. These Directives would authorize the continued use of administrative practices that were successfully implemented during Saskatchewan’s 2024 general election.

The following CEO Directives are enclosed with this letter:

  • Polling Divisions (CEO Directive 2026-001): Modifies the traditional use of geographic sub-regions of a constituency and allows a larger number of voters to be assigned to specific areas and voting stations than the 300-person limit outlined in the Act.
  • Polling Period (CEO Directive 2026-002): Authorizes the transition away from distinct advance and election day voting periods toward a unified, six-day “Voting Week.”
  • Electronic Poll Books/Voting Record (CEO Directive 2026-003): Continues the use of electronic poll books to improve voter processing, facilitate real-time information sharing with political stakeholders, implement the voting record form, and modify the traditional duties of the poll clerk.
  • Vote by Mail (CEO Directive 2026-004): Continues the centralized Vote by Mail process first developed for Saskatchewan’s 29th General Election in 2020 and subsequently used in the 30th General Election in 2024. Also continues the “Second Preliminary Count,” held two days after the last day of voting.

These CEO Directives will remain in effect for any by-elections until I withdraw them in writing or until the province’s next general election.

If you have questions or comments, I would be pleased to address them at our June 16 meeting.

Reminder – RSVP for June 16 Meeting

Our annual ESK – RPP meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 16 in the Oak Room at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina.

If you have not done so already, please RSVP to Richard Hall at richard.hall@elections.sk.ca as soon as possible. You, as Chief Official Agent, and one other representative from your party are welcome to attend both our meeting during the day and our dinner afterwards. More details, including start times and our dinner location, will be provided next week.