30th Electoral Cycle Communique for Chief Official Agents, Issue Eighteen

Updated Expense Limits & Key Date Reminders

2024 Expense Limits

Every year, in accordance with legislation, the expense limits for candidates and registered political parties are updated based on changes to the consumer price index (CPI).

CPI data was recently released and updated expense limits have been posted to our website. These expense limits will be in effect through the 2024 calendar year including for the October 2024 general election. These figures can be found within the “Candidates and Parties” section of our website under “Political Finance Legislation” or you can go to them directly at https://cdn.elections.sk.ca/upload/Expense-Limits-January-2024.pdf.  

Please note that the expense limits that were in effect for 2023 apply to the by-elections held in Lumsden-Morse, Regina Coronation Park, and Regina Walsh Acres in August 2023.

Updated Terminology

If you were paying attention during our August 2023 by-elections, you may have noticed a change in how we communicate and the words we used when describing voting opportunities. This was a direct result of the introduction of Voting Week as opposed to separate advance and election day voting opportunities. This change is made possibly as a result of CEO Directives.

I will provide you with more information on this in the coming months, but I wanted to start introducing the new language that we will be using this fall so that you can take it into consideration for planning purposes as you create campaign materials and advertisements. This all reflects a transition away from a system where most voters cast their ballot on election day at their assigned voting location to one that provides more choice as to when and where votes are cast.

Here are a few of the key terms that we will be using to replace some of the ones that you may be familiar with:

  • Voting week – This will refer to all days of voting, inclusive of what used to be advance and election day voting.
  • Early voting – The term “early voting” will replace “advance voting” and will refer to the five days before the last day, during which voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
  • Last day of voting (or last day voting) – This will replace what used to be “election day” but will switch to focusing on this day as the last opportunity to participate.

I recognize that it will take some time to learn this new vocabulary and to adapt your communications to it. I would ask that as you plan your advertisements and marketing campaigns that you use this updated language so that we do not confuse voters with differing messages. I appreciate your cooperation and will continue to share information on this over the coming months.

Key Dates

A reminder of two key dates in the coming months:

  • Monday, February 12 – Deadline for registered political parties to file their election expense return for August 2023 by-elections. Please remember that separate expense returns must be filed for each by-election.
  • Tuesday, April 30: Deadline for registered political parties to file their fiscal period return.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Boda
Chief Electoral Officer
Province of Saskatchewan