Elections Sask. holds mock vote hoping for smooth sailing when real vote comes

Elections Saskatchewan held a simulated vote Tuesday to test ballot casting and counting systems ahead of a provincial election that must happen no later than Oct. 28.

A simulation of a real polling station on an election day was part of the day.

“This is great. This is fun. I actually learned a few things. I didn’t know that you had to have the box be initialed, otherwise it’s not classified as a valid vote. I didn’t know that so now I’m looking at the box and making sure it’s initialed,” mock election participant Rose Brewster said.

Elections Saskatchewan is trying to work out any bugs in the system prior to Saskatchewan residents going to the polls this year. Voters will have a choice of casting ballots in person of by mail.

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“You might have seen our ads on your news outlets promoting our second voter registration month throughout May and in the coming weeks you’ll see ads about vote by mail,” chief electoral officer Michael Boda said.

The political parties are also gearing up.

“It’s a very exciting time. Lots of new candidates coming on board. Lots of renewal. Of the fifty candidates we have nominated this coming Monday, we’ll have 30 incumbents running again and 20 new candidates,” Patrick Bundrock the executive director for the Sask. Party said.

The NDP is not far behind in candidate selection with 40 nominated toward a full slate of 61.

“And those candidates are spread out across the province knocking on doors. We’ve spoken to over 200,000 voters. We’ve spoken to more voters at this time in the election than in any election campaign before so we’re feeling really good,” provincial secretary Tim Williams said.

The provincial election will be conducted using tried and true balloting methods. Online voting systems have yet to be proven secure with implementation far off into the future.