Recount Information & Poll by Poll Results
Final Count Results – Effect on Recounts
As you know, the Final Count was completed yesterday on Saturday, November 7. Final results from the election can be seen at https://results.elections.sk.ca/ (ensure you have the “Final Count” tab at the top of the page selected).
In my Communique dated November 4, I provided information to you on the recount processes that are outlined in The Election Act, 1996 (the Act). Please see that document, as well as the relevant sections of the Act for more information.
Any request for an automatic recount or addition must be provided to the constituency returning officer on the appropriate form (the E-151 Notice of Request for Recount or Addition), which can be found on our website here: www.elections.sk.ca/candidates-political-parties/forms-and-guides. The deadline to make a request for a recount if automatically entitled is Thursday, November 12.
I also wanted to clarify one point regarding circumstances when a candidate is not entitled to request an automatic recount. In my Communique of November 4, I stated that an application for a recount could be made at any Court of Queen’s Bench location in the province. After discussions with the Registrar of the Court, they have advised that it would be preferable if such an application be made at the Court location closest to the constituency. The deadline to apply for a recount if not automatically entitled is Tuesday, November 17.
Poll by Poll Results
Following our last election, I offered registered political parties the ability to receive poll by poll results on an embargoed basis before our Statement of Votes (providing official results for the election) was published. Assuming you are interested, I am pleased to continue to move forward in this manner and wanted to provide an update on expected timing.
I expect that we will be finished the work of producing the “Final Voters List” for the election, containing all registrations and information changes made during voting, by the end of February 2021. While this work is being completed, we will also be reviewing poll by poll results and ensuring that all poll by poll results reflect our internal policies to protect the secrecy of the vote – such as combining very small polls with others or polls where all votes are for the same candidate. When both of these tasks are finished, we will add the registered voters number to each polling division and finalize a CSV file for you.
While I cannot give you a firm date on when poll by poll results (as well as the Final Voters List) will be available, I expect it will likely be in early-March 2021. As I said, I will provide this information to you under an embargo so that you can use it for internal purposes until the Statement of Votes is ready for publication. My hope is that the Statement of Votes, which will again be the first of four volumes of post-election reporting, will be issued in April 2021 but there are many, many post-election activities that must take place before then. I will keep you posted on our timelines as we move forward.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Boda
Chief Electoral Officer
Province of Saskatchewan