The official results of Saskatchewan's provincial election will be known on November 9.Elections Saskatchewan has a three-stage ballot counting process to ensure accuracy and prevent double voting.Chief Electoral Officer Michael Boda announced that initial vote counting will begin when polls close at 8 p.m. CST on October 28, following a week-long voting period that started on October 22..OLDCORN: Moe-mentum... Sask Party gains momentum as election heats up."During the first preliminary count, we will be counting all of the ballots from voting week as well as any homebound voting ballots and personal care facilities," Boda told the media. This first count includes votes from 369 licensed nursing homes.The second preliminary count, scheduled for October 30, will count mail-in ballots received by October 26 at a central location in Regina. The final count on November 9 will verify previous counts and process any remaining eligible ballots..WATCH: Sask NDP MLA accused of removing flyers from mailbox."The final count for constituencies will be conducted at two locations, at the returning office and centrally in Regina," said Boda. "Returning offices will be verifying the numbers generated from the first preliminary count."The central count in Regina will process mail-in ballots received between October 27 and November 7, along with votes from hospitals, remand facilities, and polls for temporarily displaced voters..PINDER: In Saskatchewan, it's looking like a simple rural/urban split.While the extended counting period might seem lengthy, Boda emphasized that it is necessary to maintain election integrity. "Elections Saskatchewan is concerned that the votes be counted correctly and accurately, and we will take what time is necessary to do that," said Boda.To modernize the voting process, election workers in major population centers will track voter participation using electronic poll books instead of paper lists..MERLE: Here's why Balgonie female changing room scandal is a game-changer for parents rights.However, all ballot counting will still be done by hand."Electronic poll books are laptops with specialized software on them that allow us to replace the pencils and rulers that were used to strike off voters, off what was a very thick list of voters, which you've seen before, and they electronically and far more accurately manage the voters list for us," said Boda. "They allow us to handle a much greater volume of voters."Official winners will only be declared after the final count on November 9.
