Provincial and federal legislation say schools can be used as polling stations during elections, but one Moose Jaw trustee is concerned about how such events affect schools and surrounding areas.
Several schools in Moose Jaw were the site of polling stations during the October 2019 federal election. During their December board meeting, board trustees with the Prairie South School Division (PSSD) received a report about who gives permission to Elections Canada to allow such stations to be held in an educational building and whether the school has any input in the decision to allow a polling station.
According to section 122 (2) of the Federal Elections Act, “Whenever possible, a returning officer shall establish a polling station in a school or other suitable public building.”
Section 36 (8) of the Saskatchewan Elections Act states, “The returning officer may take and use as a polling place any school that is the property of a school division or a duly organized school district if the school is convenient for the purpose.”
PSSD received several requests from Elections Canada to rent specific schools to host polling stations, the report explained. The division’s current practice is that the central office and buildings department authorizes the rentals and notifies the schools in question.
The division office contacted Elections Canada and Elections Saskatchewan to determine if the request could be denied for use of the buildings. Elections Saskatchewan confirmed that the law stipulates that if the returning officer deems the building convenient it would be used as a polling station.
“That said, their position is that if a trustee or a school has concerns, it is best to work with them (regarding those concerns),” the report continued, adding Elections Saskatchewan suggests contacting the chief electoral officer with any concerns to allow the organization to mitigate those problems.
One school used as a polling station during the October federal election was Central Collegiate. It was this school that concerned Jan Radwanski, board trustee for the City of Moose Jaw, who pointed out that there were parking challenges around Central and “rambunctious students” in the halls during class changes.
Radwanski wondered if school division officials could say another location should be chosen due to the tight parking and interruptions by students.
Elections Canada has a mandate to work with schools and has the statutory right to use the buildings, said Stephen Robitaille, superintendent of business and operations. If there are problems, then the division should speak with the returning officer now so arrangements can be made for the future.
“But this lets school divisions serve the community,” he said. There are also other benefits to the schools, such as overtime for staff and rental fees to use the gyms; rental revenue goes straight to the division office.
Robitaille added that the division could speak to Elections Canada and Elections Saskatchewan about not using Central Collegiate in the future due to its parking problems.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020.
