3 parties running full slates in 2016 Saskatchewan election

No matter where you vote this year, you'll be able to find a Liberal, a New Democrat and a Saskatchewan Party candidate on the ballot.

Six parties are represented in the April 4 general provincial election, but only those three have full slates.

The Green Party had earlier thought they'd have a full complement of 61 candidates. However, when the official candidates' list was announced on the weekend, the Greens had three fewer.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Conservatives had upped the number of candidates they're running from the previously announced 10.

They now have 18 candidates seeking a seat in the legislative chamber.

Here's the final tally of candidates, by party, seeking election in this year's election:

• Green Party of Saskatchewan: running 58 candidates, down from the original number of 61 announced by leader Victor Lau on March 8.
• NDP: running a full slate of candidates at 61
• Progressive Conservative Party: running 18 candidates, up from the 10 first announced by leader Rick Swenson on March 8.
• Liberals: running a full slate of 61 candidates, as announced by party leader Darrin Lamoureux.
• Saskatchewan Party: running a full slate of 61 candidates.
• Western Independence Party: running a slate of four candidates, up from zero when first contacted on March 8.

Green Party leader Victor Lau said the three candidates from his team not running in the election are Norbert Kratchmer for Kindersley, Larry Zepp for Saskatchewan Rivers and George Wooldridge for Melville-Saltcoats.

In the case of Kratchmer, Lau said he and his campaign team tried to convince him to run for the seat.

However, Kratchmer was convinced that by not running, it would further consolidate votes in the area for Jason Dearborn in the hopes of unseating incumbent Bill Boyd, Lau said.

Zepp didn't make it on to the ballot because of miscommunication issues with his area's returning officer and the admissibility of nominating signatures on his nomination papers, Lau said.

• 6 political parties registered for Saskatchewan election
• Use Vote Compass to compare the party positions ahead of Saskatchewan's election
• More ways to vote in Sask.'s 2016 provincial campaign

Wooldridge's absence was due to a misunderstanding with his driver as to the due time for his nomination papers to be given to a returning officer, Lau said.

Independents running in 5 constituencies

There are also five independent candidates running for a seat in the Legislature, the most high-profile of whom is Kindersley's Jason Dearborn, a former Sask. Party MLA.

Along with Dearborn, the other four are Cam Robock (Estevan), Trever Ratti (Melville-Saltcoats), Trevor Bearance (Moosomin) and Douglas Hudgin (Regina Coronation Park).

The total number of people running for a provincial seat is 268.