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With the advance polls now open for the provincial election, people are heading out to cast their ballots, with the campaign staff of the candidates doing their part to get out the vote.
“Getting out the vote” is one of the biggest endeavours during an election. Over the course of the campaign, and in the weeks leading up to it, the campaigns figure out who their supporters are, through things such as party membership lists, discussions with voters on the doorstep, phone calls, email campaigns, and more.
Once the voting starts, the staff jumps into action. Parties have the ability to see the voters’ list, which shows who all of the registered voters in a riding are. As a person comes in to cast a ballot, their name is crossed off the list to ensure they can’t vote for a second time.
The updated lists of who has and who hasn’t voted are provided to the parties, and from there the work begins.
Campaign staff will get in touch with those who they have identified as a supporter, who haven’t voted yet, to see about getting them out to the polls. They will do this by sending emails and text messages, calling voters, and by door-knocking.
They will check on what a person’s plan is to vote – do they plan to vote in advance, or on election day? Do they need a ride to the voting location? - things of that nature. As the polling goes on, they aim to get all of those who have been identified as a supporter out to cast a ballot.
For all of the parties in the riding of Weyburn-Bengough, the next few days will see their staff extremely busy as they work to get out the vote.
Advance polls are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day until Saturday. The polls will be closed on Sunday, and then open for election day at 9 a.m. Monday, closing at 8 p.m. We will have in-depth coverage of the vote Monday night of the ridings in and around Weyburn, as well as the overall provincial story.