Some long waits in Regina as polls close across Sask.
A total of 81 candidates are running in the province, the most since 1993
Elections Canada is telling people in Saskatchewan and across Canada that if they were in line at 7:30 p.m., their votes will be counted.
Polls opened in the province at 7:30 a.m. CST and closed 12 hours later at 7:30 p.m.
Marie-France Kenny, regional media advisor with Elections Canada, said that anyone who was still waiting at the scheduled closure time would be allowed to cast and have their ballot counted.
"Even if they're voting at 9:00 their ballots will count," said Kenny.
The Regina-Wascana riding had a staffing issue according to Kenny. According to the Elections Canada spokeswoman, some 20 workers called in to say that they would not be able to staff the polls on account of them being employees at crown corporations that were heading back to work.
Voters at this polling station on McIntyre Street in Regina-Wascana tell me they waited 35-45 minutes to vote. Some blame not enough staff. I also met this man. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elxn43?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#elxn43</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/skpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#skpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCSask?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCSask</a> <a href="https://t.co/WfHGsETtr3">pic.twitter.com/WfHGsETtr3</a>
—@sammaciagIn the previous federal election Kenny said there were considerable delays at the polls and by comparison this federal election has been smooth. "I remember we had lineups going two hours," she said. "We head to supply chairs to people waiting in line."
In four days of advance polls last week, roughly 4.7 million Canadians voted. That's one million more than in 2015.
Any Canadian citizen aged 18 years and over is eligible to vote. Locations of polling stations and other details can be found on the Elections Canada website, elections.ca.
Voters will be asked for either one piece of photo identification, two pieces of non-photo ID, or to bring someone with ID from the same polling area to vouch for them.
Conservative candidates captured 10 of the Saskatchewan seats in the 2015 election, with the New Democrats taking three and the Liberals one.
In that election, national voter turnout was 66 per cent. The lowest turnout occurred among 18 to 24 year olds (58 per cent) while 65 to 74 years olds turned out in the highest numbers, at 80 per cent.
This time, a total of 81 candidates are running in the province, the most since 1993. It's the first time five parties – Conservative, NDP, Liberal, Green and People's Party of Canada - have fielded a full slate in Saskatchewan.
Voters in Saskatoon and Regina can take the bus to the polls for free Monday.
Saskatoon riders can download a pass by going to transit.saskatoon.ca. Regina riders can download a pass by going to www.regina.ca/news/Free-Transit-Passes-for-Voters/
With files from Alec Salloum and Kendall Latimer