The race to select a new Saskatchewan Party leader and new premier of Saskatchewan is in its final days, and candidates continue their efforts to find any remaining votes still out there.
On Thursday, Ken Cheveldayoff took his get-out-the-vote effort to the Battlefords as he did door-knocking throughout the community.
Joining him in the afternoon was David Buckingham, MLA for Saskatoon Westview; MLAs Randy Weekes and Eric Olauson were also out canvassing for Cheveldayoff.
Cheveldayoff’s efforts Thursday focused on meeting Sask Party eligible voters whose mail-in ballots had not yet made it in to the party to be counted. They had a list with them of party members who were not yet checked off as having voted.
The importance on getting the vote out in the Battlefords was not lost on Cheveldayoff, whose campaign has made multiple trips to the area.
“I have a tremendous amount of support here in the Battlefords, but we want to make sure that each and every person gets out to vote,” said Cheveldayoff.
“The information I have is about half the people have voted already, so I’m going to the half that haven’t voted already, going to their doors, having a discussion about the issues and the leadership, and encouraging them to vote for me and support me and then encourage them to get their ballots in the mail as well.”
He called his approach the “grassroots way to talk to every voter and to make sure that they vote.”
Cheveldayoff said that at the doors he has talked about his background and his vision for the province, and asked for their support. “It’s been very, very favourable here in the Battlefords,” he said.
The campaign has gone well for Cheveldayoff, who is encouraged by the recent news that he has again led the five-candidate field in fundraising for the most recent reporting period. Despite that, the candidate says he is taking nothing for granted and is working “like I’m five points behind.”
His North Battleford appearance comes on the heels of campaign stops by Scott Moe and Gord Wyant earlier this month, as candidates continue to go all-out during the last month of the leadership race.
It is not long now before the Sask Party announces the results on Jan. 27 at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. Cheveldayoff has continued to concentrate on going door-to-door in various communities, and the campaign has been phoning Sask Party members, to remind supporters to send in their votes.
“It’s called GOTV, it’s about getting out the vote, and that’s what I’m doing each and every day,” said Cheveldayoff.
