(file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By Tyler Marr

A look at voter turnout, past results in Battlefords-Lloydminster

Oct 2, 2019 | 1:18 PM

The riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster boasts a population of 73,506, according to Elections Canada, with 47,960 registered voters and 123 polling divisions.

It was created in 1996 from Kindersley-Lloydminster and The Battlefords-Meadow Lake. It lost territory to Cypress Hills-Grasslands and gained a small chunk from Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar during the 2012 redistribution.

From 1997 until he stepped down in 2017, the seat was held by Gerry Ritz under the Reform, Alliance and Conservative banners.

Turnout for the riding since 1997 has fluctuated quite a bit but increased steadily since 2008.

In 1997, Ritz ran for the Reform party and won with 13,125 votes or 42.7 per cent. Turnout that year was 63 per cent. In 2000, Ritz won again under the Alliance banner with 60 per cent of the total vote. Turnout fell slightly that election to just 60 per cent, shy of the national rate of 67.

Freedom and Flexibility

How App-Based Work Creates Economic Opportunity

Dec 12, 2025

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Seniors Scene

Christmas is Coming

Dec 09, 2025

However, the number of people who decided to vote in the riding fell sharply in the 2004 federal election to just 52 per cent. This mirrored a trend federally, where the turnout rate fell to just 60.9 per cent. Ritz won as a Conservative in that vote with 58.3 per cent.

In 2006, turnout rebounded to 60 per cent, with 30,649 people casting a ballot in Battlefords-Lloydminster. Ritz won with a wide margin at 54 per cent of the vote. His closest competitors were New Democratic Party candidate Elgin Wyatt and Independent Jim Pankiw at 15.7 and 14.4 per cent, respectively.

Two years later, voter turnout fell again to 51 per cent. Nationally, the turnout rate plummeted to the lowest since 1867 to just 58.8 per cent. Ritz earned 60 per cent of the vote to hold the seat in 2008.

In 2011, turnout ticked up to 58.2 per cent. Ritz earned his largest share of the vote that year with 66.9 per cent to hold the seat for a sixth time.

In the 2015 election, Ritz took 61 per cent of the total vote to hold the seat for what would become his final shift as Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster. Turnout in the last election was the highest since 1997 at 66.5 per cent but still shy of the average of 68.5.

To promote voting, Elections Canada community relations officers hit the ground well before the writ was dropped to inform voters on what they need and how they can vote.

Employees work to inform new voters — those turning 18 and new citizens — to ensure they are on the roll and registered.

“It is our right and our privilege,” Regional Media Advisor Marie-France Kenny said.

In efforts to heighten turnout among youth and Indigenous people, Elections Canada is offering polling stations at campuses and offered polls to each reservation in Canada.

In Saskatchewan, there are two polls at the University of Saskatchewan and one at the University of Regina.

People are able to vote at an Elections Canada office or by mail until Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. through a special ballot. Anyone can also vote on select campuses across Canada from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9, too.

Advance polling dates are Friday, Oct. 11 to Monday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Election day is Oct. 21. Polls in Saskatchewan are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Voter cards are in the mail and Kenny said people can go to an Elections Canada office or online to ensure their information is up to date.

—

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr