SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER - The province of Saskatchewan is gearing up for another provincial election later this month, and with the 30th annual Election Day coming on Monday, October 28, voters all around the Land of Living Skies are set to be heavily informed in the coming weeks of all manner of candidate promises, party goals, and why their vote is so vitally important as everyone waits to see the next chapter of Saskatchewan's history.
A number of key dates this month include the following:
October 11-18 - Voter Information Cards (VIC) mailed out via Canada Post
October 12 - Candidate nominations close
October 14 - Thanksgiving Day (returning offices closed)
October 19 - Last day for voters to register in advance. As of October 1, 2024, there are 809,053 registered voters. Any eligible voter not already registered and misses this deadline can still register in person when they go to vote.
October 19 - Final day to apply to vote by mail and apply for homebound voting. As of October 1, 2024, we have received 21,406 vote by mail applications.
October 22-26 - Vote any of these five early voting days during Voting Week, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (one additional hour per day from previous elections)
October 27 - No voting.
October 28 - Final day of voting during Voting Week, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
October 28 - First Preliminary Count, beginning after 8 p.m. Voting Week ballots, homebound voting ballots, and personal care facility ballots counted.
In Outlook and the surrounding area, this west central part of the province contains two local ridings that are divided by the South Saskatchewan River.
First is the Dakota-Arm River riding, which contains the town of Outlook and a number of communities located north, south and east, including the Whitecap Dakota Nation, the RM of Dundurn, and as far south as the RM of Dufferin.
On the west side of the river is the Rosetown-Delisle riding, which includes the nearby communities of Conquest, Macrorie, Milden, Dinsmore, and Lucky Lake, and going as far south as the RM of Victory that includes the village of Beechy.
With both of these ridings bringing candidates for a number of political parties, here are the known names who are running in this year's election as of October 7, knowing that October 12 is the date that candidate nominations close.
DAKOTA-ARM RIVER RIDING CANDIDATES (as of October 7)
Saskatchewan Party - Barret Kropf
NDP - Jordan Wiens
Saskatchewan United - Darren Ebenal
PC - Raymond Carrick
Green Party - Joseph Reynolds
ROSETOWN-DELISLE RIDING CANDIDATES (as of October 7)
Saskatchewan Party - Jim Reiter
NDP - Brenda Edel
Green Party - Sean Muirhead
As of this writing, there are a total of 226 people across Saskatchewan's 61 ridings who have announced their intentions to run in this election and seek a seat in the provincial legislature. Right now, the Saskatchewan Party and the NDP have full slates of candidates, while the Green Party currently has 59, the Saskatchewan United Party has 23, the Buffalo Party has 11, the Progressive Conservatives have 9, and the Saskatchewan Progress Party has one. As well, there is also one independent candidate so far.
Readers and voters are being reminded that candidate information is still subject to change as the nomination deadline approaches this coming Saturday.
