May 1, 2023 – For the first time in Saskatchewan, May will be Voter Registration Month. That means it is the perfect time for all eligible voters to confirm their voter information or to register and have their name added to the provincial voters list.
Turnout in Saskatchewan’s provincial general elections has been on a downward trend for many years – falling from 77 percent in 1991 to just under 53 percent in the 2020 election. Around the world, including here in Saskatchewan, being a registered voter correlates strongly with casting a ballot. To raise awareness about voter registration, Elections Saskatchewan worked with the Government of Saskatchewan to officially proclaim May as Voter Registration Month, the first such event for the province.
“The decline in people voting is a complicated issue with no easy solution,” says Dr. Michael Boda, Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan. “But there is one thing that I, as Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer, can do to make it easier for people to vote, and that’s encouraging everyone to register or to check and ensure their current voter information is accurate.
“Registering to vote today, and getting on the voters list, makes voting faster at election time, whether it be during a by-election or during our next general election in 2024” Dr. Boda says. “And as always, any eligible voter can still register in person while voting. You do not need to be registered before you visit a voting location, but it helps make the process faster and easier.”
Throughout May you may see Voter Registration Month advertised on social media. or in print publications. Visit www.elections.sk.ca/voterregistrationmonth to download and print the shareable tools of ads, images and various posters that target voters not on the list, voters who need to update their information, future voters, and new citizens. A poster is also available in Cree and Dene. All materials include a simple-to-use QR code that links to our online registration page (www.elections.sk.ca/register).
Youth voters are a target group during this registration drive. Our statistics tell us that people aged 18-24 in Saskatchewan are underrepresented on our province’s register of voters. Students who will be 18 years of age by the next provincial general election, scheduled for October 28, 2024, can register. That means anyone born before October 28, 2006, can register now.
“Most Grade 11 and 12 high school students do not realize that they can add their name today to the provincial voters list,” says Dr. Boda. “My office wants to change this by encouraging students to register to vote and begin a lifetime of voting!”
Elections Saskatchewan has partnered with the Democratic Engagement Exchange (www.engagedemocracy.ca) to create a short classroom activity for teachers to lead their students in. This activity prepares students to vote by demystifying the voting process and registering to vote. It includes a short slide deck and speaker notes in a printable teacher guide available for download at www.elections.sk.ca/futurevoter.
Another Elections Saskatchewan activity that is starting this month is mailing a birthday card to Saskatchewan residents on, or around, their 18th birthday. The intent of these cards is to raise awareness of registering to vote once you turn 18 and provide the same QR code for recipients to easily register.
Elections Saskatchewan (ESK) is the province’s nonpartisan election management body and an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. ESK directs and supervises the administration of provincial electoral events including Saskatchewan’s next general election, scheduled, by legislation, for October 28, 2024. 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]