Few problems reported at polling stations
Saskatchewan's 29th general election was always going to be different.
Both major parties had new leaders, untested on the campaign trail, and, of course, it was conducted in the middle of the worst global public health crisis in a century.
Elections Saskatchewan spent months planning the province's first pandemic election, and a host of precautions received generally good reviews from people who voted over the last week.
“I think we're well-versed at this point in the game,” said Chelsey Parker, who cast her ballot at North Park Wilson School in the Saskatoon Meewasin constituency early Monday afternoon.
“It was smooth and easy,” she added of the precautions in place, which included physical distancing markers, plastic shields, single-use pencils and countless hand sanitizer dispensers.
Jeff Weafer, who manages Regina Funeral Home and Cemetery, said that two polls operated out of his business last election. This year, because of distancing requirements, there was only one.
Though an estimated 700 people had cast their ballots at the funeral home before 4 p.m. — some serenaded by a piper practising for a graveside service — Weafer said there were never any lineups.
In Saskatoon Silverspring- Sutherland, Derek Hiebert and John Knisley voted in their second election. Both young men cast ballots for the first time in last year's federal election.
They said they felt comfortable with the precautions, and noted that their polling station at École Forest Grove School was quiet compared with the busier polling station they visited during the federal election.
Others agreed. Jon Pedersen, who voted at Caswell Hill school in Saskatoon Centre, said there were fewer people than he expected, though the process was “very much the same” as any other election.
One possible explanation for quiet polls is that tens of thousands people voted ahead of time — 185,061 ballots were cast at advance polls last week, up 69 per cent from the 110,716 advance voters in the last election, and almost triple the number reported in 2011.
“People are wanting to ensure they get in as early as they can in a safe environment, which we provide,” said Danny Boyer, the Elections Saskatchewan returning officer for Saskatoon Eastview.
Gord Brown, who waited just a few minutes to vote at the only advance poll held in a bowling alley, compared the experience to standing in line at a grocery store. He did not stick around to bowl a few frames.
“I'm a terrible bowler,” he said with a laugh.
Elections Saskatchewan also approved 61,412 mail-in ballot applications, a 1,289-per-cent increase from 2016. In some constituencies the number issued is greater than the margin of victory in 2016.
That means some races will likely be too close to call until the mailin votes are counted, beginning on Wednesday. Total turnout will not be known until that process is complete.
Not everyone was happy about
how the election went, however. Saskatoon resident Jennifer Smith was forced to self-isolate until Oct. 30 after a close contact tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 19 and so was unable to vote — something she argues is unfair.
Unlike in B.C., Saskatchewan does not permit isolating voters to cast ballots by telephone.
It's not clear how many people, like Smith, were unable to cast a vote as a result of being ill or self-isolating as a precaution.
Elections Saskatchewan called Smith's situation “very unfortunate.”
Voters were not the only ones
who ventured out over the last week. Thousands of Elections Saskatchewan workers were also working at polls and offices across the province.
Boyer, the returning officer, said he decided to work the pandemic election because it was important to fulfil the job he'd committed to do. He went on to praise other election workers who did the same over the last week.
“You're facing this together, as a team.”