REGINA — With a first preliminary count complete, the Saskatchewan NDP appears to have flipped two seats following three provincial byelections on Thursday.
NDP candidates Jared Clarke and Noor Burki had definitive leads over Saskatchewan Party candidates Nevin Markwart and Riaz Ahmad in the Regina ridings of Walsh Acres and Coronation Park, respectively.
Saskatchewan Party's Blaine McLeod finished well ahead of the NDP's Kaitlyn Stadnyk and Jon Hromek of the Saskatchewan United Party in the rural riding of Lumsden-Morse.
Elections Saskatchewan's website says the first preliminary count includes ballots from voting week, homebound voting and personal care facilities.
Vote-by-mail ballots received by Aug. 8 are set to be counted in a preliminary vote on Saturday, while a final count including vote-by-mail ballots received after Aug. 8 is scheduled for Aug. 22.
The next provincial general election is set for October 2024.
Saskatchewan Party MLAs Mark Docherty of Regina Coronation Park and Lyle Stewart of Lumsden-Morse both resigned early this year.
Derek Meyers, the former Saskatchewan Party legislature member for Regina Walsh Acres, died of cancer in March at the age of 45.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug.10, 2023.
The Canadian Press
