Voting

The purpose of the voter ID requirements is to maintain the integrity of local election processes. Your name and address must appear in some form on your voter identification documents. Bringing proper identification will ensure your voice is heard and will help your local election run as smoothly as possible.

Photo ID – Your BEST option to take to the polls

Acceptable photo identification is ID that is government-issued, valid and has your photo, name and address. If your identification does not meet these criteria, it will not be recognized as an acceptable form of photo identification.

Examples include:

• a valid Saskatchewan driver's licence;
• a valid Saskatchewan ID card issued by SGI or any motor licence issuer (available for $10 or free for seniors); or
• any other valid government-issued photo ID issued by a Canadian government whether federal, provincial or municipal, or an agency of that government, so long as it includes your name and address.

If you do not currently have photo identification you can acquire non-drivers photo-ID from SGI.

For a complete list of acceptable identification, view Appendix D - Table 1 page 70-72 of The Local Government Election Regulations, 2015.

A Canadian passport is not an acceptable form of photo identification because it does not contain your address. However, a Canadian passport can be used as identification if paired with another document that has your name and address on it.

Non-Photo ID options

If you don't have photo identification and are unable to obtain photo-ID before Election Day, you can present two other pieces of information, as long as both contain your name and at least one contains your address.

Examples include:

• Valid ID cards or certificates issued by the Canadian or Saskatchewan government, a Saskatchewan municipality or school division, a Saskatchewan Indian band, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan or an agency of one of these entities;
• personal correspondence, benefit/contribution statements and tax/assessment notices issued by any of the above entities;
• bank/credit union cards, credit cards and statements;
• utility bills and statements issued within six months of the date of the election; and
• personalized attestation of residence, letter of stay or admission form issued by a seniors or student residence, long-term care or shelter facility.

Vouching

If you do not have acceptable ID but are accompanied by another voter who has acceptable ID and is entitled to vote at the same polling place, you can be vouched for by that individual using the form available at the polling station from an election official.

Please note:

• A voter with acceptable ID may only vouch for one other person, except for immediate family members living at the same address as the voucher.
• A person who has been vouched for cannot vouch for another voter.
• Election officials, candidates and candidate's agents are prohibited from vouching.

For more information about vouching, please view Section 17 and Table 2 of Appendix D of The Local Government Election Regulations, 2015.

You can vote at the polling station set up for your municipality:

• Urban municipalities may have a polling place in each ward.
• Rural municipalities (RMs) may have a polling places in each division.
• Resort villages have the option to establish a polling place outside the boundaries of the resort village.

Check the Notice of Poll for the location of your polling place. The polling station is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.

You will be required to provide proof of identity to vote (See Appendix D, Table 1 (page 78) in The Local Government Election Regulations, 2015). Instructions on how to vote will be posted at the polling station. If you need help, the Deputy Returning Officer who gives you your ballot will assist you. Majority of municipalities use a Voter Registration Form as their poll book. This form will assist you in knowing if you are an eligible voter.

Municipalities may make special provisions to accommodate voters with limited mobility by providing mobile polls and curbside voting. Information on these methods of voting is available from the Returning Officer.

At the polling station, the names of the candidates for mayor/reeve and councillors are listed on the ballots for each office. Generally, the names will be in alphabetical order although council may have earlier provided for random or rotational order. The candidate's occupation, if any, is printed beneath the candidate's name.

• Urban municipalities (cities, towns, villages and resort villages)
  Mayors are elected at large by all voters. If you live in an urban municipality, you may vote for the mayor, and no more than the stated number of councillors.

• Rural municipalities (RMs)
  If you live in an RM, you can vote for the reeve and for one division councillor. Councillors are elected only by voters qualifying to vote in that division. Your property tax notice contains information about the division in which you are entitled to vote.

Voting occurs by making a distinct "X" in the space beside the candidate's name. The ballot is secret.

Advance poll

Voting at an advance poll is the same as a regular poll.

• Cities, towns and villages are required to have an advance poll.
• RMs and resort villages are required to have either an advance poll or a mail-in ballot.

Advance polls operate during the weeks immediately before Election Day. The locations and hours of all advance polls are listed on the Notice of Advance Poll, advertised in your municipality. This information is also available from the Returning Officer, at your municipal office.

Voting by mail (Mail-in ballot)

Your municipality may provide opportunities to vote by mail. Contact your municipal office to learn if this option is available.

Secrecy of vote

Every election official, candidate or agent of a candidate in attendance at a polling place shall adhere to the principle of secrecy of vote and sign an oath of office. Many of the offences related to secrecy of vote are described in sections 165 to 185 of The Local Government Election Act, 2015.

Agents and candidates

No candidate, agent or other person shall canvass or solicit votes in a polling place or within 100 metres of the building where the poll is held when the polls are open or make any communication to a person intending to vote otherwise than through the Deputy Returning Officer.

A candidate and two of his/her agents may be at each poll with the exception of mobile polls. As well, a candidate or one of his/her agents may be present during the counting of the ballots.

Candidates or agents have the right to object to the eligibility of a voter. Direct any objections with respect to a voter's eligibility to the deputy returning officer, not to the voter. Voters that have completed and signed their voter's declaration stating they are an eligible voter will receive a ballot to vote, even if there is an objection.

Polls are required to be open between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. However, the returning officer may open polls earlier. After the poll opens, the deputy returning officer will show people who are present that the ballot box is empty prior to closing and sealing the box. If the ballot box was used at an advance poll, the deputy returning officer will remove the seal over the ballot box's slot in front of all those present.

Returning officers may be asked to determine if a person is an eligible candidate or voter. Elected officials should be prepared to explain eligibility criteria; however, elected officials should avoid determining a person's right to vote or seek office. It is the responsibility of each candidate and voter to determine their own eligibility.

Urban municipality

To vote in a city, town or village election in Saskatchewan, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen;
• be at least 18 years of age;
• have lived in Saskatchewan for at least six consecutive months immediately before election day and:
  1. lived in the municipality (or on land now in the municipality) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day; or
  2. be the owner of assessable land situated in the municipality (or land now situated in the municipality) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day.

Resort village

To vote in a resort village election in Saskatchewan, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen;
• be at least 18 years of age and one of the following:
  1. have lived in the resort village (or on land now in the resort village) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day;
  2. be the assessed person with respect to property in the resort village (property now situated in the resort village, refer to Section 207 of The Municipalities Act) for at least three consecutive months immediately before election day; or
  3. be the spouse of an eligible voter mentioned in a or b.

Rural municipality

To vote in an RM election in Saskatchewan, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen;
• be at least 18 years of age and one of the following:
  1. have lived in the RM (or land now in the RM) for at least three consecutive months immediately preceding the day of the election;
  2. be the registered owner of property in the RM (or land now in the RM);
  3. be the assessed person with respect to property situated in the RM (or property now in the RM, refer to Section 207 of The Act);
  4. be the occupant of a trailer or mobile home in the municipality (or land now situated in the municipality) that is object of a permit required (refer to Section 306 of The Act);
  5. be the spouse of an eligible voter mentioned in a, b or c; or
  6. be the chief executive officer of a duly incorporated co-operative, corporation or religious association that is assessed on the last revised assessment roll with respect to property in the RM that is not exempt from taxation.

Where an RM is divided into divisions, each voter is entitled to vote for reeve and one division councillor. The division a person is eligible to vote is determined by the first applicable clause as listed above in points a to f. For example, a person who lives in Division 3 but is the registered owner of property located in Division 4 will vote for the councillor in Division 3 and the reeve.