Legislators are now looking at some recommendations on how to modernize the province’s referendum and plebiscite laws.
The province’s chief electoral officer has brought forward four options to modernize the way referendums are held in Saskatchewan.
Dr. Michael Boda said this is all in part of a bigger modernization project going on at Elections Saskatchewan. “While we want to guard our democratic traditions here in the province on one hand, on the other hand, we’re looking at ways by which we can modernize our democratic processes,” explained Dr. Boda.
He discussed how the current acts are out of date and expensive for the province, recommending the option to legislators of running a referendum in conjunction with an election or moving into a process in between elections to host a postal referendum.
“My recommendation has been that we would repeal the referendum and plebiscite act and that it be housed within the election act itself and moving forward we’d be able to run a modern referendum process.”
Boda said the recommendations are now in the hands of legislators and it’s up to them on how things move forward.
The next provincial general election is expected to be held in October 2020.