A poster that's selfie worthy. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Early Voters

Get out the vote: NB residents head to advanced voting stations

Oct 22, 2024 | 5:00 PM

As the first residents in the Battlefords came to cast their ballots on Day One of advanced voting, they did so surrounded by brightly coloured posters with directions and rules on how to vote in the provincial election.

“The issues that brought me out today are the treatment of (transgendered) students and how I really oppose what they’re doing to those poor trans students and other students and to parents around the province,” voter Keltie Paul said.

She explained she was also drawn out to the voting station on the first day because of issues she sees in the healthcare system.

“It needs to be fixed. We need physicians, we need more practical nurses, nurse practitioners, we need (registered nurses) because we’re simply drowning,” Paul said.

Mark Louko said he came out early, mainly to get it out of the way and for him, the reason he was participating had more to do with who he didn’t want in power.

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“So, vote for the best choice available,” he said.

According to Elections Saskatchewan, while they won’t have an accurate picture of voter turnout until Wednesday afternoon, Tim Kydd, outreach and communications senior director said so far, it’s been positive.

“It’s been a great day for us,” he said, adding all 303 early voting stations around the province were open.

A voting place sign outside of the Chapel Gallery in North Battleford. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

“We’re hearing some stories of a lot of traffic at some locations, which is great and it’s also quite normal – [compared to] the first day of voting from past events – there certainly is an excitement there and some anticipation from some voters,” Kydd said.

He added while they don’t have specific information from the Battlefords or Meadow Lake yet, no one day is better than the other for voting and he hopes the weather cooperates as it can always be a factor in any event – whether it’s related to democracy or not.

“We also know that people in Saskatchewan are very hearty souls and also planners,” he said.

When early voters were asked by battlefordsNOW what brought them out on that first day, they spoke to much of the same issues, that of healthcare, education, housing and high taxes.

“I’m out here on the first day because I think it’s very important to vote,” said Amber Stewart.

The early voter said no matter where people fell on the political spectrum, she encourages everyone to use their rights.

“Especially as a woman, people fought really, really hard for me to be able to be here today so, I wanted to get out and get it done,” she said.

Stewart said as a community member, she loves the Battlefords and wants the riding’s representative to be an effective advocate and community-minded.

“We know we have crime in the Battlefords, how are we going to address that? We know our education system needs some support as well as health care,” she said.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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