Saskatchewan Minute: Election Day, Ballot Counting, and Federal Homelessness Funding

Saskatchewan Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Saskatchewan politics.

This Week In Saskatchewan:

• Today is Election Day! A tight race is expected between the Saskatchewan Party, led by Scott Moe, and Carla Beck's NDP. Moe’s Saskatchewan Party, currently holding 42 of the 61 seats, is aiming for a fifth consecutive term, while the NDP, with 14 seats, hopes to sweep the 28 seats in Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert to gain a majority. Polls suggest a narrowing gap, with Moe’s rural support potentially offset by urban losses.
  
  
• Polls will be open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. You will need to bring identification with you to vote, and a list of acceptable ID is available here. You can locate your nearest polling station and its hours of operation on the Elections Saskatchewan website.
  
  
• Elections Saskatchewan says that preliminary counting will begin at 8:00 pm tonight, focusing on votes from the early voting period and homebound ballots. The counting will occur over 12 days, with a second preliminary count on October 30th, which will include mail-in ballots received by October 26th. The final count will take place on November 9th, verifying the results from the first count and including additional mail-in votes until November 7th.

Last Week In Saskatchewan:

• Turnout for early voting hit record highs, with over 223,000 ballots cast in the first four days, breaking the previous record of 184,742 from 2020. Early voting closed Saturday, setting the stage for the election day today!
  
  
• Both Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck and Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe expressed their commitment to collaborating with the federal government to address homelessness if they win the provincial election. Meanwhile, Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser noted that Saskatchewan had not yet formally responded to offers for funding to support shelter spaces. Ottawa is instead trying to negotiate directly with Saskatoon and Regina.
  
  
• Saskatchewan's public debt has reached nearly $20 billion but has garnered little attention in the lead-up to the election. Political leaders are focusing on promises of tax cuts and improved public services. Critics point out that the average family of four is paying more than $2,000 per year in tax on interest payments. Both major parties plan to balance the budget in the fourth year of their potential terms.