The main polling station is now open for the civic election in Estevan.
The station, located at the Estevan Church of God, opened at 8 a.m. Monday and will remain open until 8 p.m.
Those who vote at the main polling station will be required to wear a mask.
If people do not want to wear a mask, they are asked to use the drive-thru polling station at the Estevan Fire Rescue Service’s building from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Please enter this voting location at the south entrance off the alley on 13th Avenue and snake around the front of the building to the drive thru entrances,” said city clerk Judy Pilloud said. “An election worker will provide a registration Form R to declare your ability to vote and once your ID has been verified you will be given a ballot to complete.
“You hand this ballot back to the election worker and you drive out of the truck bay and exit east onto Souris Avenue North.”
There will be people directing traffic on site, so people are asked to drive slowly.
If there is any emergency requiring the fire department, voters are asked to stop and wait until all fire vehicles and personnel have cleared the property and voting will resume.
There has already been one drive-thru poll on Oct. 30. Advance polls were held Nov. 2 and 3.
Mail-in ballots are also being offered.
They must be received in the city clerk’s office by 4 p.m. on election day, or the ballot will be deemed spoiled.
The mail-in ballots will be counted on election day, rather than after the election. Once someone has declared they want to receive a mail-in ballot, they have to vote through that method; they can’t vote in person.
Due to COVID-19, there are no mobile polls, but there will be special polls. The city has made arrangements with care facilities to provide mail-in ballots and accommodate residents safely.
Pilloud said she has a wonderful group of election workers who have stepped forward to make this election successful.
“We have many returning workers, but also a few new faces. I could not accomplish this election alone and I am very grateful for Connie Spencer and all my workers.”
There are two candidates for mayor in Estevan. Incumbent Roy Ludwig has been challenged by Ray Walton.
Eleven candidates are vying for councillor: incumbents Travis Frank and Shelly Veroba, and first time city councillor candidates Blaine Chrest, Lindsay Clark, Rebecca Foord, Mark Henderson, Tony Sernick, Geoff Thiessen, Kirsten Walliser, Bernadette Wright and Allan Yergens.
There are also elections happening for councillor in Divisions 1, 3 and 5 in the RM of Estevan, and elections in urban and rural municipalities throughout the southeast and the province.
The Estevan Mercury will have full coverage of the results in Estevan Monday night. Please visit www.estevanmercury.ca throughout the evening for updates after the polls close.
