Here's how ballots are being printed for Saskatchewan's upcoming provincial election

Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan Dr. Michael Boda shows off freshly printed ballots in Regina on Oct. 13, 2034. (Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

Just under one million ballots are being printed for the upcoming provincial election in Saskatchewan, and 27 out of the 61 constituencies currently have their ballots being pulled hot off the presses in Regina.

"We have a lot of candidates, and that's exciting for this process,” Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Michael Boda told CTV News.

"As of 2 p.m. our team took over from there and began a three-step process of making sure that the name[s] submitted were spelled accurately. We went through that process until yesterday evening."

The process is a meticulous one, as Boda and his team confirm that all information is correct before printing.

Six printers, located in both Regina and Saskatoon, take over from there. A ballot is printed for every registered voter, and an extra 20 per cent for eligible voters who register at the polls.

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"This is not one general election. It is 61 small elections across each constituency,” Boda explained.

"We may have to make sure that we have enough ballots in each constituency. So, there's an extra 20 per cent for each constituency. That's the process. Once the ballot printing is complete, they will be shipped directly to the returning officers."

Boda went on to say that the number of ballots is on par with previous elections, taking into account the growth of Saskatchewan's population over the past four years.

"Overall, with 243 candidates to run … It's a little bit fewer than our record," he added.

"I believe our record is 258 in 2016. It's in that range and it's still exciting, that that many people are putting their name forward."

It is a massive project, and Boda credited the various employees who began the arduous job over Thanksgiving weekend.

"It's a very, very big effort, but it's a very disciplined effort that we follow,” he said. "We want to be very careful because we manage these ballots very carefully."

It is anticipated that around 8-10 per cent of voters will vote by mail in this election. With the previous election taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Boda expects more voters will cast their ballot in person this time around.

"Transparency is very, very important. It's an important part of running an election. we're following the law as it's been laid out," he added.

"That's how we that's how we move forward. We also follow best practice, in terms of how we conduct an electoral event."