Regina’s civic election is set for Nov. 13, to elect a new city council, mayor and school board trustees.
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Voter registration is now live for Regina residents ahead of the fall municipal election.
Election day is scheduled for Nov. 13, with advance polls to be held from Nov. 1 to 4. Residents will have the chance to vote for the mayor, city council and school board trustees.
City clerk Jim Nicol is the returning officer for this year’s election. He said the communication strategy is focused on ensuring voters are well-informed, especially since Regina’s civic election will take place around the same time as the provincial election, to be held on or before Oct. 28.
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“We always run the risk, particularly because we are second in the roster this year, for voter fatigue, voter confusion, voter apathy,” said Nicol during an update Thursday.
“Our role and responsibility is to remove barriers so people can vote, know where to vote, and how to get the information.”
New this year is the introduction of a shared voter registry with Elections Saskatchewan, meaning residents will only have to register once for both the provincial and municipal elections.
Voters will also have the option of a digital identification card, issued as a QR code for poll workers to scan and check their name against the voter registry.
“It’s going to make voting easier, speed up the process and should encourage people to come out and vote,” said Nicol.
“On average, it takes approximately less than three minutes for people to go in and out” with the digital voter cards, he added.
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The Elections Regina website is live at regina.ca/elections and offers all the information voters and candidates need to register or update their information, including a search function to identify one’s ward.
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Ward boundaries have been updated for this election, to reflect changes in population since the last boundary review.
A total of 34 polling stations will be available across all 10 wards, plus special and mobile polls. Voters may also request a mail-in ballot.
Elections Regina is also seeking those interested in working on election day. Around 600 people worked the election in 2020, but Nicol anticipates fewer hands will be needed this year.
He encouraged residents to engage with the civic process by casting a ballot on election day.
Voter turnout in the 2020 municipal election was about 21 per cent, and Nicol is hoping the new strategies this year may push those numbers higher.
“This is the first level of government,” he said. “Everybody’s a taxpayer, everybody benefits from the services we have whether that’s transit, police, fire, recreation facilities — it all happens here with the decision makers.”
As for who may be on the ballot come November, a few people have already announced their intentions.
During her annual state-of-the city address in March, Mayor Sandra Masters announced plans to run for a second term.
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Masters was first elected in 2020, defeating incumbent Michael Fougere after two four-year terms.
Coun. Andrew Stevens was the first of the 10 sitting city councillors to voice his plans for November, stating he does not intend to seek re-election after representing Ward 3 for two terms.
A new face, David Froh, has declared his intention to vie for Stevens’ empty seat by seeking nomination in Ward 3.
Froh is currently the vice-president of the Regina Food Bank and previously worked with Economic Development Regina.
Candidate hopeful Chidi Igwe has also announced intentions to run for city council in Ward 2, which has been represented by Bob Hawkins since 2012. Hawkins has not yet indicated if he will be running for re-election this fall.
A campaign website describes Igwe as a former University of Regina associate professor, and a communications consultant with several provincial ministries.
Candidates must file their nomination form to the city’s elections office between Sept. 25 and Oct. 9.
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