Close election dates mean extra work
Some fear potential for voter confusion over provincial, municipal ballots
Saskatoon residents won’t go to the polls for another nine months, but a small group of city employees have spent the last year working to ensure the next municipal election goes off without a hitch.
The 2020 election presents some distinct challenges given it is set for Nov. 9, two weeks after the Oct. 26 provincial election.
Those challenges include finding locations for advance polls, recruiting around 600 people to work the election, confusion between the two campaigns, voter apathy and fatigue, and ensuring people are aware of what is happening, and when.
“It presents a few more things to think about,” city clerk Joanne Sproule said.
One advantage the city has is a dedicated returning officer. Previous elections were essentially run off the sides of desks in the clerk’s office, but this year Scott Bastian will oversee every aspect of the contest.
“With the provincial election happening so close by, what else is going on? We’ve got the U.S. presidential election smack dab in the middle, too,” Bastian said of the challenge he faces.
Some decisions have already been made. Provincial legislation permits municipalities to hold advance polls up to 15 days before an election, but Sproule and Bastian decided to avoid confusion by waiting until after the provincial ballots are counted.
“We want their election to finish, let the dust settle, and then we’ll start our advance polls. Because we certainly don’t want voters voting in two elections at the same time,” Sproule said of the plan, which should prevent conflict over facility access.
The city is also set to emphasize mail-in ballots, a relatively new option for Saskatoon voters.
Finding workers for the approximately 66 voting locations could be tricky. Bastian said many people choose to work federal, provincial and municipal elections, meaning there is the possibility of worker fatigue with the two in such proximity.
While other major cities have experienced shortages of election workers, Sproule said Saskatoon typically has more applications than it requires and she is “confident” good advertising should attract enough people.
Communication is expected to be important for voters, too. Bastian said his team plans to begin advertising months ahead of the election, likely beginning this spring, to ensure voters are not overloaded with information in the days leading up to the vote.
The last municipal election cost $469,254, though half the total was borne by the school divisions. Each year, the clerk’s office contributes $135,000 to a reserve to fund elections.
Sproule said the overlapping dates did not lead to any budget increases for 2020.
There are political challenges, too.
Incumbents in municipal elections have typically enjoyed what University of Saskatchewan political scientist Joe Garcea called a “competitive advantage,” as evidenced by comparatively low turnover rates in recent elections.
While a campaign effectively shortened to two weeks may not affect potential candidates with a public profile, it will likely make it more difficult for lesser-known candidates to gain traction, and force all candidates to deploy campaign resources strategically, he said. “The window is small, and public attention will be small,” Garcea said.
The current overlap was created when the Saskatchewan Party government bumped the fixed provincial election date to April 2016, citing conflict with the 2015 federal election, which in turn pushed the next date to Nov. 2, 2020.
Two years ago, the province tweaked the date to ensure two weeks’ separation between elections.
While it is unusual, it will not be the first time Saskatoon residents have gone to the polls twice in a short period of time.
It last occurred in 2003. Saskatoon voters elected a new mayor and council on Oct. 22. Two weeks later, on Nov. 5, they and voters across the province re-elected Lorne Calvert’s NDP government to a majority.
A similar situation played out in 1991. That year, the provincial election was held on Oct. 21 and Saskatoon voters trudged to the polls again two days later for the municipal vote.
In both cases, the municipal ballot also included a plebiscite question — Sunday shopping in 1991 and the casino vote in 2003 — which may have had some effect on voter turnout, though it is impossible to know for sure.
Turnout in Saskatoon has varied considerably in recent years, from 27 per cent in 2009 to 52 per cent in 2003. Just over 40 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots in the most recent election, in 2016.
Garcea said the 2020 mayoral race — which has yet to take shape, despite plenty of rumours and speculation — will likely drive engagement, with a lively race featuring plenty of debate driving more people to the polls.
Bastian said he has envisioned both scenarios, low and high.
“The confusion, the apathy (could) result in a lower turnout. But then I’ve also thought about the other side, which I’m hopeful for, is that because there’s this buzz and people are charged and know they have to be voting for the municipal and the provincial, it’ll actually increase.”
Despite numerous objections from politicians, municipalities and even the province’s former chief electoral officer, there is little to suggest either election date will change. Which is why, Sproule said, the city is planning ahead as much as possible.
“Basically, the candidates will have to be clear. The voters have to be clear. We have to be clear on what we can do. It impacts everybody a little bit.”