October 1, 2019 – Examining Saskatchewan’s out-of-date referendum and plebiscite law and providing a path forward to modernizing it are the topics in the latest report from Elections Saskatchewan.

Modernizing Saskatchewan’s Referendum Legislation is the fourth publication in the Chief Electoral Officer’s Assessment Series. The report is available in the Reports & Data at www.elections.sk.ca/reports-data/ceo-assessment-series/.

“There are several shortcomings in Saskatchewan’s current legislation and regulations setting out the legal framework of ballot question votes,” says Dr. Michael Boda, Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer. “There are also required features completely absent in the existing law that need to be addressed, including defining a clear process to ensure a neutral and straightforward ballot question, and ensuring the proper mechanisms exist to assure the integrity of voting and ballot counting.”

This CEO Assessment offers four options for future referendum voting arrangements and provides recommendations of two preferred options based on whether a referendum can be linked to the timing of a general election or if a referendum is to be held as a stand-alone event between general elections.

Tabled in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan on Friday, September 27, 2019, the CEO Assessment details a history of provincial referendum and plebiscite votes and compares the legal features of ballot question votes across Canadian provinces.

The next provincial general election is expected to be held October 26, 2020.

Elections Saskatchewan is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly, created to plan, organize, deliver and regulate provincial electoral events for the people of Saskatchewan. Find information for voters, workers, media, candidates and parties at www.elections.sk.ca.

 

For more information contact:

Tim Kydd
Senior Director, Outreach & Communications
Elections Saskatchewan
306.537.9211
[email protected]