August 14, 2020 – The Chief Electoral Officer announced today that the third meeting of the Electoral Advisory Group took place earlier this week.

The advisory group provides a forum for the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to receive public health advice from Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO) on the viability of conducting the province’s general election on October 26, given the presence of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). It also offers Government and Opposition House Leaders the opportunity to hear this advice, provide comments, and ask questions of both the CEO and the CMHO. The groups first meeting was held on June 1, with the second taking place on July 7. News releases issued after those two meetings can be found here.

“These meetings have proven to be an invaluable way for me to learn more about the situation with COVID-19 in the province and how it could affect our election processes,” said Dr. Michael Boda, Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan. “They have also been an excellent opportunity to liaise with the Government and Opposition House Leaders and provide them with an update on our election plans and how they are being affected by this pandemic.”

The advisory group is not a decision-making body, but one mechanism that will help to inform the public recommendation on the viability of an October 26 election that the Chief Electoral Officer has committed to make. This recommendation will be made by mid-September and will be based on the public health advice received from the Chief Medical Health Officer along with further input from stakeholders such as voters, political party representatives, and the thousands of election officials required to conduct a successful general election.

The Electoral Advisory Group consists of:

  • Michael Boda, Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer;
  • Saqib Shahab, the Province’s Chief Medical Health Officer;
  • The Honourable Jeremy Harrison, Government House Leader; and
  • Cathy Sproule, Opposition House Leader.

The group’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in September.

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 the 2020 provincial election.

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]