Advance voting begins Tuesday

There are six more sleeps until election day in Saskatchewan,  but you can cast your ballot starting Tuesday.

Advance polling stations open across the province Tuesday and run daily from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m, and Saturday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

It’s the first election, you don’t need a special reason for voting in the advance polls. Chief electoral officer Michael Boda says they’re not quite sure what to expect.

“We’ve talked to other jurisdictions about this and it’s possible people will show up first thing Tuesday morning and there may be some lines,” he said on Gormley Monday.
“We encourage the public to spread it out a little. We suspect Tuesday and Saturday will be a peak time for us.”

The number of people voting in provincial elections has been dropping consistently for the past 30 years. And despite an ‘official’ turnout figure of 67 per cent of registered voters during Saskatchewan’s 2011 election, only 51 per cent of voters eligible to vote actually did.

Boda said opening up the advance polls is another way they’re trying to make voting more accessible.

“Our job, principally, is to reduce those barriers for everyone across the province so they can participate in this very important process.”

NDP leader Cam Broten took advantage of an advance polling station at Henry Kelsey School in Saskatoon Tuesday.

NDP leader Cam Broten brought his family along to vote at an advance poll in #yxe #saskvotes @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/cEDeUMddkZ

— Daniella Ponticelli (@Ms_dponticelli) March 29, 2016

After a 30 minute wait, Cam Broten finally casts his ballot at an advance poll station in #yxe #saskvotes @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/mus9dQJQdN

— Daniella Ponticelli (@Ms_dponticelli) March 29, 2016

Information cards sent in the mail will tell voters where their advance polling location is. Voters who didn’t receive one can contact Elections Saskatchewan or visit their website to find their polling station.