Yorkton voters taking advantage of drive-thru advance poll

Yorkton residents wait to vote in the city's drive-thru advance polling station. (Alison MacKinnon/CTV News)

YORKTON — Cars were lined up bumper to bumper at the Gallagher Centre in Yorkton as residents waited to vote at the city’s first drive-thru polling station, on Tuesday afternoon.

"This is the first time Yorkton has done it. We're kind of following in the footsteps of the City of Regina with that idea, “Jessica Matsalla, the Returning Officer for Yorkton Municipal Elections, said.

While the idea of the drive-thru is to limit possible exposures to COVID-19, the process will be similar to what you would at a normal polling station.

"You're going to want to bring your identification, and we're going to also ask you to fill out a registration form so that's something that you can bring ahead of time, go to our website Yorktonvotes.ca, print it off and fill it out ahead of time," Matsalla said.

You’ll need to bring your government-issued ID or two pieces of identification with your name and at least one showing your current address.

"It's a clipboard process, so you're going to be exchanging things that way. The election official will be beside your vehicle and you'll be guided around the Ag pavilion filling out your form at different stations and given your ballot and then last step would be voting."

The city is encouraging voters to remember while voting will be normal practice, they'll be implementing COVID-19 precautions.

“Masks are always encouraged, social distancing, handwashing use of hand sanitizer that's all present in the voting place and all voting days,” Matsalla said.

The drive-thru voting station will be open again on Wednesday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. So far the city has recorded 425 advanced votes and over 500 mail in ballot applications.