You may have noticed some different messaging from Elections Saskatchewan during these three byelections in the Regina Area.

There isn’t an election day, with advance polls in the days ahead.  Instead its been a “voting week”, with the final day of voting set for today (August 10th).

This is going to be the new normal when it comes to voting, as Elections Saskatchewan is trying to modernize a process that hasn’t changed in decades. Some of the changes also include vote counters, or vote tabulators.  These should not be confused with the voting machines used in recent US elections that were the centre of controversy.  Some of that controversy warranted, but most of it was found to be lies and mistruths.  These counting machines do simply that, count the ballots, and then stores them.  That way in the event of a discrepancy, the marked ballots can be hand counted.  By adding the counters to the polling station, and having all voter’s lists on laptops at the polling stations, the process of voting should be quicker, and counting the ballots even more so.

Having a week or more of voting will be the new norm as well, as Elections Sask is gearing up for the general election expected in October of 2024.

The three byelections are in the ridings of Regina-Coronation Park, Regina-Walsh Acres and Lumsden-Morse.  Prior to today, 7349 votes were cast in the days leading up to the final day of voting today. 630 applications for “mail in” ballots were also received.  The polls in those ridings open at 9 o’clock this morning, and will close at 8 o’clock tonight.

–620CKRM will bring you election result updates after the polls close–