As Yorkton prepares for its upcoming municipal election on Nov. 9, city councillors have voted 4-3 to hold it all under one roof come voting day, instead of dispersing residents out to different polling stations.
Citing safety concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic and potential voter confusion with a provincial and an American federal election happening around the same time, councillors opted for city clerk Jessica Matsalla’s recommendation to use Yorkton’s Gallagher Centre.
The site is a large multiplex with a field house, an indoor track, a pool and an attached hockey rink where the Yorkton Terriers play.
The vote was held at the city's July 13 council meeting.
Mayor Bob Maloney, who was among those supporting the motion, said, “With COVID, it allows us to better control the environment, because we have one location where we can do all of the cleaning we need to do and make sure we’re in good shape there.”
He said the city had been mulling a move to a single polling station site prior to the pandemic. “If we’re going to do it, this would be the year to do it.”
Yorkton, about 210 kilometres northeast of Regina, sits in the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s (SHA) Central East region for tracking COVID-19 infections. SHA data shows the region has had 28 total infections since recording started in March, with only three active cases, as of Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking with the Leader-Post, Matsalla said, “We want to make sure we’re clear about where the election is, to reduce voter confusion … We also don’t want to send people into places like schools. For example, our older population is more vulnerable and there’s a chance they may interact with students (in such a scenario).”
She said the Gallagher Centre allows the city to control points of entry and exit on voting day, also touting the amount of indoor space available to maintain physical distancing.
“The footprint is massive,” she said.
Yorkton is also to use five advance polls, two of which will be styled as drive-throughs so voters don’t need to leave their vehicles.
In her presentation to council, Matsalla said 17 per cent of 4,819 voters cast ballots at advance polls for the 2016 election; she expects that percentage to grow this year.
The city will have approximately 15,000 eligible voters.
Warman, about 20 kilometres north of Saskatoon, is also holding its election at a single-poll station site, the Legends Centre. It’s a large, multiplex building with gymnasiums, multi-purpose rooms and board rooms.
Warman city clerk Dawn Johnson said the city decided on the Legends Centre for this year’s vote prior to the pandemic. Once COVID-19 hit the province, it made the importance of that decision apparent, she said.
“There’s tons of room there … there will be one entrance and one exit.”
That means poll station workers will be able to control traffic flow into the building by asking voters to line up and keep an appropriate distance apart, Johnson said.
North Battleford city clerk Debbie Wohlberg confirmed her city is doing the same, holding polling booths at one location on Nov. 9, its Civic Centre arena.
“It’s designed so everybody comes in one way through a hallway; there’s hand sanitizer and masks if they want. They vote and exit out the other way,” she said, calling it a “COVID-related decision.”
Wohlberg said it will allow for easier disinfection and barrier installation, while reducing how many workers are exposed to the public on election day.
The city’s six councillors and mayor voted unanimously on the resolution. North Battleford is about 135 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
Weyburn, south of Regina, will also hold its municipal election in one location, the Cugnet Centre. Like Warman, the city decided on it prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Municipal elections in cities, towns and villages are to be held on Nov. 9 across Saskatchewan.
