March 10, 2016: Writ Period Bulletin

This issue of the Bulletin includes:

  • Recruitment of remaining staff
  • Training poll officials
  • Confirming poll locations
  • Contact hospitals & remand centres regarding HRT Team schedules
  • Distribution of VICs
  • Releasing Preliminary List to Nominated Candidates
  • Entering a Candidate into ESPREE

Recruiting Remaining Staff

It is important to ensure you have a full complement of reliable workers well in advance of the times they will be needed so that you can schedule training sessions and replace workers who change their minds about working. 

  • Let us know early if you are having trouble getting a sufficient number of workers so that we can try to coordinate recruitment between constituencies that have a surplus and those with insufficient numbers.
  • ESK will be monitoring your recruitment of poll workers by having you report on recruitment through the E-113. The E-113 should be emailed to Susan Kalcsits at [email protected] every Tuesday and Saturday
  • You will also need to recruit and train extra poll officials to have as spares, which are also identified on the E-113.
  • Regina – 4 DROs and 1 SDRO – Pooled resources*
  • Saskatoon – 4 DROs and 1 SDRO – Pooled resources*
  • Prince Albert and Moose Jaw constituencies – 5 DROs and 1 SDRO – Pooled resources*
  • Each rural constituency – 6 DROs and 2 SDROs – No pooling of resources due to the geographic distance between constituencies.

* Pooled resources can be shared as needed on election day.

If you need to use spares on election day, call those on your own team first. If you need more spares, call the Support Desk immediately. In rural constituencies your extra workers will need to be strategically located so that they can be deployed within 30 minutes if they are needed.

 

Training Poll Workers

Training is more effective the closer it is conducted to when it is needed. You don’t want to begin your training too early.

  • It would be ideal to fit in your training between March 20 and April 2, but this may not be possible for all constituencies
  • The number of training sessions, the dates and the schedule for training poll officials will depend on whether the constituency is rural or urban, how many officials you have to train, and where you are in your recruitment efforts
  • Begin training your advance poll workers first since you will need them first
  • Training of election day workers during the period of advance voting has the advantage of being closer to election day
  • Registration officers and information officers used for the advance polls can also be used to work on election day
  • You will need to arrange between 8-12 training sessions with approximately 20 – 25 people per session during the day and in the evenings
  • It’s ideal to train poll officials who will be working together (e.g. DRO and poll clerk) at the same time
  • If you don’t know an answer to a training question, your SRO or Support Desk can give you the information you need.
  • Have your poll kits (minus the ballots and voters lists) ready to distribute during training. The voters lists and ballots should be distributed to DROs as close to election day as possible – April 2nd or April 3rd.

 

Confirming Polling Locations

  • Make sure the poll location information published in the Proclamation is correct.
  • If there are any access or other instructions regarding a particular location you should convey them to the SDRO (for central polling locations) or the DRO (for single polls) during training.
  • If a location has to change, you will have to find another location and inform voters and candidates.
  • If a poll location has to change, contact the Support Desk at 1-866-249-7186 We can provide you with guidance on the steps you will need to take.

 

Contact Hospitals & Remand Centres Regarding HRT Team Schedules

As election day approaches it is necessary to confirm all of your polling locations, but particularly important to confirm the arrangements in hospitals and remand centres.

Make sure:

  • your facility contact will be available to meet the election officials
  • there is a designated and secure place (in remand centres) for voting to occur
  • the agreed upon hours of voting stated in the Proclamation still work for the facility
  • that there will be an appropriate number of tables and chairs (in remand centres) available

These are busy institutions with many health and security concerns.  Arrangements you made with administrators weeks ago may need to be changed.  Quarantines in hospitals and “lock-downs” in remand centres can cause serious alterations to your initial plans concerning where and when voting can occur within these facilities.

 

Distribution of Voter Information Cards (VICs)

Every voter who was registered before February 23 will be receiving a Voter Information Card (VIC) in the mail. The VIC lets voters know where they go to vote on election day.  The VIC also gives the voter other information such as the dates, hours and locations of advance voting, other voting options, as well as voter eligibility and ID requirements.

VICs are mailed as soon as the writ of election is issued. 

Errors on VICs – Most often errors will have to do with the residential address information that was supplied by the voter, but they could also be the result of an incorrect assignment to a polling location or constituency. 

Corrections to VICs – Voters are directed to call in with any changes or corrections to their VIC card by calling 1-877-958-8683 or by going online and updating their information though our web portal.  If voters call or come in to the returning office with changes you can update the voter’s information or add them through the portal, record the voter’s information on form E-207 and then scan and e-mail it to [email protected]

If voters provide you with an e-mail address, an updated Voter Information Card will be e-mailed to them.

Releasing Preliminary List to Nominated Candidates

Note:  Following the acceptance of a candidate’s nomination papers you will be providing the candidate with a copy of the preliminary voter’s list.  The candidate must complete and sign a copy of form E-293 – Declaration to Protect the List of Electors before you release the list.  Returning Officers are also to provide candidates with a copy of form     E-295 – Declaration to Secure the List of Electors which is to be completed by candidates and returned to the Returning Officer or to the ESK head office after the election.

Entering a Candidate into ESPREE

The IT department at Elections SK’s head office has developed a video demonstrating how to add a new candidate or modify an existing candidate in ESPREE, as well as how to produce the E-409 once your candidate entry is complete.

Here is the link to the video:

https://vimeo.com/158223377/ea55f2bde9

You can find also refer to pages 27 and 28 of the IT manual that was provided to you when you attended the last training event

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Support Desk at: 1-866-249-7186 and select option 1.