Why is voter turnout so poor in Sask. municipal elections? | CBC News

For the second time in eight years, municipalities across Saskatchewan will choose new leaders just a few weeks after a provincial election. 

City of Regina clerk Jim Nicol said it could be a factor in low voter turnout.

“There’s always a challenge with the provincial election being about less than two weeks prior,” Nicol said.

“However, we have a very large list of candidates, so I’m hoping that that does generate interest.” 

Low voter turnout in municipal elections is not unique to Saskatchewan, but it’s something worth watching as residents head to the polls on Nov. 13.

In Regina, voter turnout hasn’t gone above 50 per cent in a general municipal election since 1988.

The past two municipal elections have been particularly dismal. In 2016, Regina recorded a turnout of 20 per cent. In 2020, turnout was just a little bit higher at 21 per cent. 

Saskatoon has a better track record. In 2016, turnout for its municipal election was 40 per cent while in 2020 voter turnout fell to 27 per cent.

Jack Lucas, a professor of political studies at the University of Calgary, said there is typically a lower level of interest in municipal politics. 

“We do generally see a kind of ladder of participation, with the lowest level being the lowest level of government — municipal — and then a slightly higher amount of turnout at the provincial level and then further increases in turnout at the federal level,” Lucas said.

The few weeks separating a provincial and municipal vote means voter fatigue can be a factor, Lucas said. 

He said a close race between candidates or a contentious issue can help boost turnout for municipal elections, because they motivates voters.

However, municipal elections in Saskatchewan lack parties, which can sometimes provide voters with a quick, easy indicator to help with the decision about who to support. Without that, voters have to do more work to research and understand candidates’ views and policies. That can take more time than people want to spend in the few weeks between votes, Lucas said. 

“So I do think that the closer you get in time, the more this is a concern, and even if it was just a matter of months rather than weeks, it might make a difference and is probably worth considering,” Lucas said. 

Province’s responsibility

It’s ultimately up to the province to set dates for municipal elections.

After the 2020 municipal election, Regina city council voted to request the province move the date in order to avoid the two votes nearly running into the other.

In 2021, the province’s chief electoral officer issued a similar recommendation to the provincial government, saying the short time between votes caused problems for voters.

The province did not act on those requests. 

In a statement, the Ministry of Government Relations said it heard from some cities that they wanted the municipal election date to be moved. 

“[B]ut there was no consensus between urban and rural stakeholders on a date, and splitting the sector would have negative implications for school board elections,” the statement read. 

The provincial government wants consensus on an approach before it consider changes.

WATCH | Saskatoon early voters talk about their key issues: 

Saskatoon early voters talk about their key issues

Advance polling stations for Saskatoon’s municipal election are now open. CBC asked some early voters what informed their decisions.

Advance polls

Turnout for the upcoming election won’t be known until after results come in next week. However, Regina and Saskatoon released data from advance polls on Tuesday.

In Saskatoon, 19,400 people cast a ballot over the four days of advance polling from Nov. 1 to No. 4. 

According to a news release accompanying the figures, that works out to about 10 per cent turnout. In 2020, Saskatoon reported 19,666 advance voters. 

In Regina, 15,190 people cast a ballot in that city’s advance polls over a four-day period. That’s an increase from the 14,374 people who took advantage of advance polling in 2020.