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The provincial election is Oct. 26. (file photo/paNOW Staff)
voting opportunity

Extraordinary voting available for PBCN, LLRIB members

Oct 20, 2020 | 10:14 AM

All Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) members, as well as a select few from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB), are eligible for extraordinary voting.

“Chief Peter Beatty and council made a decision in collaboration with public health officials in the North that it wasn’t safe for residents to attend physical polling locations in the communities of the First Nation,” said Elections Saskatchewan Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Michael Boda. “As a result, we have instituted at their request, extraordinary voting which has a deadline for applying tomorrow at 5 p.m. I would really encourage people to phone Election Saskatchewan at 1-866-351-0040 and we will be able to arrange for a ballot to be delivered to your doorstep.”

For members of the LLRIB, those who should call for a ballot include those who have COVID-19 or who have been named a direct contact and are in isolation. Boda noted physical ballot locations will be available for voters in LLRIB communities Oct. 26.

Those who will be delivering the ballots will be community members who otherwise would be working at a physical polling location. The ballot will be delivered closer to election day and a worker will pick up the ballot either on election day or shortly before.

“Extraordinary voting has never been used in Saskatchewan,” Boda said. “It was created in order to allow for more people to be able to have access to the ballot after the vote-by-mail deadline has passed. That passed last Thursday.”

In order to apply over the phone, residents will need to provide their name, community in which they resided, address, birthdate, phone number and band name for First Nations individuals.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno

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