Am I eligible to vote?

To be eligible to vote in a resort village in Saskatchewan, you must: 

• be a Canadian citizen;
• be at least 18 years of age and one of the following:
  • (A)  have lived in the resort village (or on land now in the resort village) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day;
  • (B) be the assessed person with respect to property in the resort village (property now situated in the resort village, refer to Section 207 of The Municipalities Act) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day; or
  • (C) be the spouse of an eligible voter mentioned in (A) or (B).

Where and when can I vote?

Advance voting

Advanced voting dates, times, and locations are currently TBD and will be announced with the Notice of Advance Poll (to be posted in the municipal office and Returning Office). Advance voting is typically held 3 to 15 days before Election Day, and is kept open for at least 2 consecutive hours. 

On election day

Election Day for the 2024 municipal election in Saskatchewan’s resort villages is scheduled for July 27, 2024. You can check the Notice of Poll (to be posted in the municipal office and Returning Office) for the location of your polling place. The polling station is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Resort villages have the option to establish a polling place outside the boundaries of the resort village. 

By mail 

Your municipality may provide opportunities to vote by mail. Contact your municipal office to learn if this option is available.

Those applying to use the mail-in voting system must complete the Voter’s Registration Form as well as a declaration signed by the person requesting a mail-in ballot that includes: 

• A statement that the person is qualified to vote in the municipality; 
• Evidence of the person’s identity (i.e., acceptable ID); and 
• A statement that the person believes the declaration to be true and knows that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath or affirmation and by virtue of the Canada Evidence Act.

After reviewing the application, the Returning Officer will mail out a ballot package to the voter. Voters using the mail-in voting system must ensure the Returning Officer receives their ballots no later than the close of polls on Election Day.

Homebound voting 

Any qualified voter who is unable to vote on Election Day or on a day on which an advance poll takes place because of a disability can vote using the homebound voting option. The caregiver of a homebound voter is eligible to vote in this manner. Homebound voting means that a ballot will be mailed to you and you will be able to vote in your home. Contact your Returning Officer for more information. 

Hospitals and personal care facilities

The Returning Officer may provide for a polling place to be held in a hospital, a personal care facility, or a similar institution so voters who are receiving care at those facilities can vote. If a polling place is established, caregivers or staff members of the institution, if eligible, may vote as well. This may apply to either the poll on election day or an advance poll.

Do I need to register to vote?

Yes! You do need to register in order to vote, however, you do not need to register in advance, meaning, you can register at the polling station on election day. 

Registering at the polls might mean spending a little more time waiting in line, so we recommend registering to vote in advance.

Do I need to bring ID to vote?

Yes!

You are required to prove your identity AND physical address. There are many types of identification that can be accepted at the polling stations from your Saskatchewan Driver’s License to your Health Card and a utility bill.

Be sure to double check what kinds of IDs are accepted before you vote - the complete list can be found under Appendix D of the Local Government Election Regulations!

If you do not have sufficient ID (make sure to check the above list first as there are many acceptable ID options) but are accompanied by another voter who has acceptable ID and is entitled to vote at the same polling place, you can be vouched for by that individual using the Vouching for Identity form available at the polling station from an election official. A voter with acceptable ID may only vouch for one other person, except for immediate family members living at the same address as the voucher. A person who has been vouched for cannot vouch for another voter. Election officials, candidates, and candidate's agents are prohibited from vouching.

Can I work for Elections Saskatchewan Municipal Elections?

Yes! 

Election officials are appointed by the Returning Officer, and roles include the Deputy Returning Officer and Poll Clerk. Elections officials must: 

• Carry out their duties in a professional, non-partisan manner 
• Be at least 18 years old 
• Keep the information of voters confidential 

I’m working on Election Day?

Voters are entitled to three consecutive hours free from work to vote during advance voting or on election day.

If your work schedule can’t accommodate you to take four consecutive hours off, your employer must provide extra time off. 

This doesn’t mean you get to just take off from work for three hours though. It just means you have to be given a window of three hours to vote at some point during the day. So if you work from 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM, you still have three hours before your shift begins to vote (9 AM to 12 PM).

Your boss can't dock your pay or penalize you for taking the time to vote. You have to be paid your regular wage for the hours you're not working while you vote. Have that conversation with your employer now, as they have the right to decide when you get your time off!

I can’t make it to a polling station on Election Day?

If you already know you're going to be busy, unable to physically reach the polls, or away on vacation (lucky you) on Election Day, make a plan to vote early!

You have four options: 

1: Vote by mail! Contact your municipal office to learn if this option is available. Voters using the mail-in voting system must ensure the Returning Officer receives their ballots no later than the close of polls on Election Day.

2: Vote at an advanced poll! Advance voting dates and times are currently TBD and will be announced with the Notice of Advance Poll (to be posted in the municipal office and Returning Office)

3: Vote via homebound voting! Homebound voting means that a ballot will be mailed to you and you will be able to vote in your home. Contact your Returning Officer for more information. 

4: Vote at a hospital or personal care facility! The Returning Officer may provide for a polling place to be held in a hospital, a personal care facility, or a similar institution so voters who are receiving care at those facilities can vote. If a polling place is established, caregivers or staff members of the institution, if eligible, may vote as well. This may apply to either the poll on election day or an advance poll.

I’m a student living away from home?

Students who have moved from outside the province to study in Saskatchewan are immediately eligible to vote in provincial elections, or who have been living in Saskatchewan but have moved to attend a school away from where they have been living, are eligible to vote in a resort village in Saskatchewan provided they are at least 18 years old and one of the following:

• (A)  have lived in the resort village (or on land now in the resort village) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day;
• (B) be the assessed person with respect to property in the resort village (property now situated in the resort village, refer to Section 207 of The Municipalities Act) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day; or
• (C) be the spouse of an eligible voter mentioned in (A) or (B).

I live in a remote or isolated area?

Vote by mail! Contact your municipal office to learn if this option is available.

I’m living in an Indigenous community or reserve?

You can choose to vote by mail, or find your nearest polling station. Check the Notice of Poll (to be posted in the municipal office and Returning Office) for the location of your polling place. 

I’m living abroad?

To be eligible to vote in a resort village in Saskatchewan, you must be at least 18 years of age and one of the following:

• (A) have lived in the resort village (or on land now in the resort village) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day;
• (B) be the assessed person with respect to property in the resort village (property now situated in the resort village, refer to Section 207 of The Municipalities Act) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day; or
• (C) be the spouse of an eligible voter mentioned in (A) or (B).

I recently moved?

As long as you either A) have lived in the resort village for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day, (B) are the assessed person with respect to property in the resort village for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day; or (C) are the spouse of an eligible voter mentioned in (A) or (B), you can vote in your new electoral district! Just bring a piece of ID and a proof of your new address. 

To make things quicker at the polls, though, you can register your new address with your Returning Officer before Election Day.

I’m currently without a home?

An eligible voter, who knows you and lives in the same constituency as you, may vouch for you at the voting place when you arrive to vote in-person.

I'm not old enough to vote yet?

The Chief Electoral Officer sends a birthday card to all Saskatchewan residents for the 18th birthday to remind them that they are now eligible to vote - you can register to vote as soon as you turn 18.

Is this information accessible in other formats?

The Government of Saskatchewan’s website offers a number of accessibility features when viewing information on municipal elections: 

• Type sizes and contrast ratios set to be easily visible and legible
• Does not use graphical text, which ensures screen readers can access all areas with text
• Does not open a new tab on your browser when you’ve clicked on an external link, as screen readers have a tough time navigating to new tabs popping up
• Follows the W3C Accessibility Guidelines

Are polling places accessible?

Whenever possible, the polling place should be accessible for people with a physical disability or limited mobility. 

A voter can make a request to the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer to take their vote at a nearby place for it to be accessible (e.g. from their parked vehicle outside the polling place). The request may be verbal or written and may be made by a person acting on behalf of the voter. If a request is made, the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer may temporarily suspend proceedings in the polling place to allow a voter to vote in this manner. Any voters in the polling place who have received ballots are permitted to vote before suspending proceedings. Procedures for voting in this manner are the same as they would be within the polling place. For example, the voter would present identification to the Deputy Returning Officer, complete the Voter’s Registration Form; mark their ballot with the pencil provided; and deposit it in the ballot box.

Voters can also be supplied with a Transfer Certificate form to vote at a polling place other than at the one where they would otherwise be required to vote if it is inaccessible.

Voters with a disability are welcome to be accompanied by an escort or assistant, or an interpreter or sign language interpreter. If the voter requires an interpreter to translate a declaration or discussion, the interpreter must complete the Declaration, Oath or Affirmation of Interpreter form. A candidate or agent may not act as an interpreter

Voters may request assistance if they are unable to read or are otherwise unable to vote. The voter must complete the Declaration of Voter Unable to Vote form and can either: 

• Request the Deputy Returning Officer to assist the voter marking the ballot (within or outside the voting compartment) according to the voter’s wishes in the presence of the Poll Clerk and candidate/agent; or 
• If accompanied by a friend, the Deputy Returning Officer shall permit that person to accompany the voter to the voting compartment after completing the Declaration of Friend form.

If a voter is visually impaired, the Returning Officer will provide the Template for Use of Visually Impaired Voters.