The writ is expected to drop Monday or Tuesday for the 28th general election in Saskatchewan.
The Election Act of 1996 states “the minimum period between the issue of the writ and polling day is 27 days”. That includes polling day, not the day the writ drops.
Counting back from April 4, that means the premier must go to the lieutenant-governor either Monday or Tuesday in order to be in that minimum period.
The NDP is not waiting for the writ to drop. It is full campaign mode, having already made a number of platform announcements, including bringing back the film tax credit and extra help for those suffering mental health issues.
For the other parties and lobby groups, media advertisements have been issued, billboards are already up and the door-knocking underway.
In this election, three new constituencies are at play. There are currently two parties in the legislature – the Saskatchewan Party with 49 seats and the NDP with nine.