Advocates and municipal leaders called for deeper public participation before Saskatchewan’s November 13, 2024 civic elections. Their concern extended beyond choosing a mayor. Turnout in Regina had remained below 50 per cent since 1988, while Saskatoon’s municipal elections had also regularly failed to attract a majority of eligible voters.
Why local government is easy to overlook
Municipal debates often receive less national coverage than federal or provincial politics, even though councils make decisions residents encounter daily. Streets, sidewalks, transit, water, waste collection, parks, zoning, recreation and policing oversight all depend on local budgets and bylaws.
Former Regina councillor Andrew Stevens, who was not seeking re-election, emphasized that municipal decisions shape ordinary routines. A low-profile council vote can affect the safety of a crossing, the frequency of a bus route or whether a housing development proceeds near existing services.
Community outreach in Saskatoon
Jory Vermette of LiveableYXE encouraged participation through neighbourhood outreach, including delivering informational flyers. Such work can reach residents who do not follow city-hall coverage or campaign accounts. To remain useful, election material should clearly identify its publisher, separate opinion from official voting information and link people to the municipal election office.
Door-to-door and community-based communication also creates a way for residents to ask basic questions without embarrassment. First-time voters may need to know whether they are eligible, what identification is accepted, where their polling place is and whether advance voting is available.
Barriers are not simply apathy
Calling non-voters uninterested can hide practical obstacles. People may be working during polling hours, lack transportation, move frequently, encounter inaccessible information or know little about candidates for council and school board. Some may believe that one vote cannot affect a large system.
Election administrators can respond with accessible polling places, plain-language instructions, advance options and consistent public notices. News organizations and civic groups can compare candidates on the same questions and explain what a mayor or councillor can legally do.
Participation continues after election day
Voting is an important act, but it is not the only form of municipal engagement. Residents can read agendas, contact ward representatives, submit comments, appear before committees, join neighbourhood organizations and participate in consultations. Those methods are most effective when a request is specific and tied to a decision council can make.
City governments also carry responsibility. Meetings held at inconvenient times, dense documents and unclear delegation rules can discourage involvement. Publishing searchable agendas early, explaining financial consequences and reporting how public input changed a proposal makes consultation more credible.
Representation needs more than the loudest voices
People who regularly attend council may not reflect renters, young residents, newcomers, Indigenous communities, shift workers or people living with disabilities. Officials should not wait for every group to enter a formal chamber. Targeted outreach can identify concerns that a general online survey misses.
At the same time, consultation is not a promise that every participant will get the result desired. Council must balance competing interests and explain the evidence, cost and authority behind its final decision.
A measurable democratic goal
The 2024 election provided a moment to raise awareness, but a one-week campaign cannot repair disengagement on its own. Progress can be measured through turnout by neighbourhood, participation in hearings, accessibility feedback and whether more residents can accurately identify the services controlled by their city.
The advocates’ underlying message was practical: municipal government is close enough to influence, yet that influence requires sustained attention. A ballot begins the relationship. Transparent council work and continuing community participation determine whether local democracy functions between elections.
