Secondary PowerPoint 5: The Voting Process

What is happening on Wednesday, October 26, 2016?

Who is allowed to vote? An elector is someone who is qualified or eligible to vote. In order to be eligible to vote in the municipal and school board elections you must be: At least 18 years of age; A Canadian citizen; A Saskatchewan resident for the past six months; A resident of the municipality or owner of assessed land in the municipality for the past three months.

What do I need in order to vote? You must provide identification to cast a ballot. Acceptable photo identification is ID that is government-issued and includes your photo, name and address (e.g., driver’s license, Saskatchewan ID card). If you are unable to obtain photo ID before election day, you can present two other pieces of information, as long as both contain your name and at least one contains your address. Some municipalities compile a voters list (also known as a list of electors) with the names and addresses of all eligible electors which is used at the polling place.

How does the voting process work? Once you confirm that you are eligible to vote, you are given a ballot. Go behind a voting screen and mark your ballot. Hand your folded ballot back to the deputy returning officer to check that it is a verified ballot. After it has been verified, your ballot is placed in in the ballot box.

Free and Fair Elections Voting across Canada is done by secret ballot. This ensures the privacy of each voter’s choice. No one except the voter knows the choice that was made. Discussion: Why is voting by secret ballot important?

Voting Methods In recent years, some municipalities have incorporated alternative voting methods, such as phone or electronic voting (e-voting). E-voting is a broad term and can be applied to various technologies that uses electronic means to help in the process of casting or counting ballots, such as voting through the Internet. Student Vote uses paper ballots and manual counting.

What races will be on my ballot? Depending on where you live, you may be able to vote for up to three positions: Mayor or reeve (head of the municipal council); Councillor (the local council member); School board member (one of three position types). Public school board member Conseil scolaire Fransaskois Separate school board (Roman Catholic or Protestant)

How do I mark my ballot? A ballot lists the names of the candidates running for each position or office in your municipality. The voter must clearly mark the ballot for their preferences for it to be accepted. You can use a checkmark, X or shade in the circle.

Rejected and Spoiled Ballots A rejected ballot is a ballot that cannot be counted because the voter’s choice is not clear. (For example, your ballot is rejected if you try to vote for more than the number of candidates you are allowed to choose.) A spoiled ballot is one that was kept separate and never placed in the ballot box because it was mistakenly marked or torn and exchanged for a new ballot. A voter may also choose to use their vote to express their unhappiness with the options given. This is called a declined ballot. This is done by receiving a ballot, then giving the unmarked ballot back to the deputy returning officer. The voter states that they choose to decline to vote.

What are advance polls? Electors who are away, busy or unable to vote on election day, have the option of participating in advance polls (advance voting). Advance polls are held prior to election day. Check with your municipality for exact dates/times.

Final Thoughts How will you make your decision about who to vote for? How do you know if you are ready to vote? Why is voting important? How can you encourage eligible voters that you know to cast their ballot?