Each day, we are asked questions about elections and voting. Below are a few of the more common ones we hear. If you have any questions that you’d like us to answer, please drop us a line at [email protected].
Who works at Elections Saskatchewan?
We group Elections Saskatchewan’s employees into two categories; head office staff and field staff. Head office staff consist of the Chief Election Officer and 13 permanent support staff. Their job is to maintain a state of readiness for all electoral events, such as by-elections that can be called with short notice. Field staff consist of returning officers, supervisory returning officers, and election clerks. They are responsible for running electoral events in each constituency and are the face of elections in their communities. Read more about our staff here.
What does the Chief Electoral Officer do?
The Chief Election Officer (CEO) is responsible for planning, organization, preparation and impartial conduct of provincial electoral events. The CEO is the head off the ESK team. Dr. Michael Boda has been the CEO of ESK since May 7, 2012. Read more about Dr. Boda here.
Who works in the constituencies during an election?
Each constituency is run by a Returning Officer with assistance from an Election Clerk. During an electoral event, like an election or a by-election, they will hire additional staff to work at the returning office and at polls on election day. 10,000 staff are needed to run an election and staff all the voting places, so please consider joining the ESK for election day. Learn more about how you can Take Part.
How does an election start?
An election is called when the Lieutenant Governor dissolves the legislature by dropping “the writ”, usually at the Premier’s request. The writ is a formal document that orders an election in a given constituency. During an election, there is one writ for every constituency in Saskatchewan.
What is the difference between a by-election and an election?
An election (also referred to as a general election) occurs when all constituencies across the province vote for a Member of the Legislative Assembly at the same time. This usually occurs every four years. A by-election occurs when one constituency elects an MLA, usually because the previous MLA has left office, as was the case in the constituency of Lloydminster in November 2014. Sometimes multiple by-elections are held on the same day.