The number of mail-in ballots is already high in Saskatchewan and Elections Canada is reminding voters of drop off options available till Monday evening. (The Canadian Press)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Votes coming in

High turnout of mail-in ballots, drop-offs available

Sep 17, 2021 | 2:59 PM

As election day looms right around the corner, those who haven’t mailed in their ballots have options to get them in on time, adding to another extremely high turnout of early voting.

There were around 55 thousand mail-in ballots two years ago, but according to Elections Canada, mail-in and special ballots are already north of 1.2 million in Canada.

Regional Media Advisor Marie-France Kenny acknowledged that it’s likely that COVID-19 was a factor for some, but added that there’s several other reasons for this massive increase, such as people wanting to avoid inconvenience. This is particularly noteworthy given that the majority of these early voters aren’t voting by mail because they aren’t at home this week.

“I know just in Saskatchewan we’re looking at 31,717 people who are in their electoral district and still decided to vote by mail,” Kenny said. “People don’t want to wait in line, because they’ve been waiting in lines for a year and a half.”

In the North and Northwest regions, Saskatchewan voters have met this upward trend. The Battlefords–Lloydminster riding has seen 860 ballots returned of the 1,735 issued, while the Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River riding has an even higher percentage of returned ballots, at 834 of the 1,043 issued.

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While mailing ballots at this point will push meeting the Monday night deadline of 7:30 p.m., there’s plenty of opportunity for people to get those ballots to the ballot box. Kenny said if people who’ve registered for mail in ballots and their kit was supposed to go to the local Elections Canada office, then they can fill it out and walk it in to Elections Canada office today, tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.

“They can also take it to the designated poll before the evening deadline on Election Day and drop it off there, without having to wait in to vote.”

Those who don’t want to go to the polls or can’t go for whatever reason can utilize a family member or neighbour.

“As long as you trust them to drop it off at that box,” Kenny said. “It just needs to get to the Elections Canada Office or your polling station by 7:30 Monday night.

Given recent returns nationally, including a recent increase of more than 200,000 thousand mail-in ballots, Kenny said that there’s 600,000 still left to arrive, including around 6,000 in Saskatchewan, but she’s optimistic they will be there on time.

“Hopefully we’ll be down to 200,000 or less by Monday nationally and by the end of the night, all of them will be returned.”

Elections Canada is still recruiting and training poll workers for Monday. You can find out more information online.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW