SASKATCHEWAN - With more than half of Saskatchewan’s 61 ridings finished counting, Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party have retained their majority government after the 2024 provincial election vote.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. with results starting to come in within an hour. Â鶹´«Ã½AV.ca called the election at 11:41 p.m.
In his victory speech, Scott Moe, who retained his Rosthern-Shellbrook riding, said, “Thank you once again, Saskatchewan, for placing your trust in our party.”
Thanking friends and supporters at his event in Shellbrook, he said, “the support you provided myself and my family and the honour I have of representing each and every one of you, I appreciate that more than words can ever express.”
Moe also thanked his wife of 31 years, Krista, and his campaign team.
He also said to all candidates who ran in the election, “It’s no small thing to put your name on a ballot,” he said.
He thanked the party leaders and singled out Carla Beck, leader of the Saskatchewan NDP, for the work she does as opposition leader and party leader.
He acknowledged that the election results and having lost some support to the NDP will see his party looking at its record and working to improve.
NDP leader Carla Beck was re-elected in her home riding of Regina-Lakeview, and will see her party resume its role as the official opposition.
Beck said in her concession speech at midnight, “Friends, we came so close. When we started this campaign, many people didn’t give us much of a chance. But we believed, and because of the hard work and determination of all of you in this room and across the province, we gave people a reason to hope again. And that’s not nothing.”
She added, “I know this isn’t the result we had hoped for, but let me tell you tonight is not the end.”
She congratulated Scott Moe but also said tens of thousands of people had sent him a message that they want change in the province, as evidenced by the close race results.
This election saw the first Voting Week for Saskatchewan. Over the first five days of voting at 303 locations, 273,010 voters cast a ballot during the first five days of voting, 20,417 vote by mail ballots were returned to Elections Saskatchewan.
Monday, another 413 voting locations in rural constituencies were added to ensure no voter had to drive more than 30 minutes to their voting location. All 716 voting locations across the province were open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and there was also voting at 68 hospitals or remand centres. All voting at the 369 personal care facilities was completed before Monday.
The mail-in votes are still to be counted. That is to happen on Wednesday. On Nov. 9, all ballots will be counted again before making the count official.
