Saskatchewan · City of Saskatoon

How to run for Council in Saskatoon

A plain-English guide to the 2028 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for councillor candidates in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Election day: Wednesday, November 8, 2028
Population (2021)
266,141
Council seats
10 seats
Term
4 years
Wards
10.

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for councillor in Saskatoon, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of Saskatoon, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in Saskatoon (or the spouse of one).
  • Not legally disqualified from running.
Common disqualifications include sitting judges, sitting MPs / Senators / MPPs (must resign before filing), municipal employees (must take an unpaid leave or resign), and people serving a sentence in a penal institution.

Step 2

What does the councillor do?

Councillors in Saskatoon vote on by-laws, the annual budget, and local services like parks, transit, and zoning. They are the most direct point of contact between residents and city hall.

RoleSeatsTermNotes
City Councillor104 yearsOne per ward. Current councillors (2024–2028): Ward 1 Kathryn MacDonald, Ward 2 Senos Timon, Ward 3 Robert Pearce, Ward 4 Troy Davis, Ward 5 Randy Donauer, Ward 6 Jasmin Parker, Ward 7 Holly Kelleher, Ward 8 Scott Ford, Ward 9 Bev Dubois (acclaimed), Ward 10 Zach Jeffries (acclaimed).

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at the local Returning Officer, in person during regular office hours and on nomination day until 2:00 PM. You'll need to bring:

  • Nomination paper, signed in the presence of the clerk or a commissioner of oaths.
  • 25 voters (cities ≥ 20,000) or 5 voters (smaller cities and towns) from eligible electors of Saskatoon.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: None at the provincial level. Some municipalities charge a nominal fee by bylaw.

Where to file

City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 222 3rd Ave N, Saskatoon SK S7K 0J5. Nomination packages received by appointment.

Step 4

Key dates — 2028 cycle

DateEvent
Invalid DateNomination period opens
Invalid DateNomination period closes (last day to file)
November 8, 2028Election day
November 28, 2028New term of council begins

Step 5

Campaign finance

Saskatchewan has no province-wide campaign-finance regulation. Saskatoon (Bylaw 8491), Regina, and Moose Jaw have local disclosure / spending bylaws; most other cities have none.

Local

Specific to Saskatoon

  • Sign bylaw: Saskatoon election signs may go up at the start of the nomination period; placement on private property only (no boulevards, no city property), and they must come down within 72 hours of election day. Confirm exact dimensions/height with the Clerk's Office before printing.
  • Mail-in ballots: record uptake in 2024; available on request to any voter via the City Clerk.
  • Advance polls: typically 4 days, 8+ locations, including Saskatoon City Hospital and care-facility mobile polls.
  • First female mayor: Cynthia Block's 2024 victory ended a 121-year all-male mayoral history in Saskatoon.
  • Ward 9 / Ward 10 acclamations: Bev Dubois and Zach Jeffries returned without contests in 2024 — incumbent advantage in suburban wards is significant.
  • By-elections in 2026: if any of the 11 Saskatoon seats are vacated mid-term in 2026, the City Clerk runs a by-election under the LGEA. None scheduled as of May 2026.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in Saskatoon also choose:

  • Mayor — At-large. Cynthia Block (elected Nov 13, 2024 — the city's first female mayor; ~30,000 votes vs. Gordon Wyant's ~20,000).
  • Public School Trustee — Saskatoon Public Schools — One per municipal ward.
  • Catholic Separate Trustee — Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) — At-large; only Catholic-supporter electors may vote/run.
  • CSF (Conseil scolaire fransaskois) Trustee — Province-wide francophone division; section 23 rights-holders only.

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in Saskatoon?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the Saskatoon ballot:

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with the local Returning Officer and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

How RidingDesk helps

Running for Council in Saskatoon? We built the platform for you.

RidingDesk is a Canadian-built campaign platform for municipal, provincial, and federal candidates. Hosted in Canada, MEA-compliant out of the box, and shaped by the way local campaigns actually run.

Collect your nominators online

Stand up a public nomination page in minutes. Supporters fill in their info from their phone — you witness their physical signature later when you bring the paperwork in.

Recruit and manage volunteers

Sign-up forms, shift scheduling, and a single place where the whole team knows what's next.

Canvass smarter

Door-knocking with turf cutting, pinned maps, and walk lists generated from the Saskatoon voters list.

Fundraise inside the rules

Stripe-powered donation pages with built-in MEA contribution-limit and tax-receipt logic. Receipts signed by your registered Official Agent.

Start your campaignSee a live demo

Free until October 26, 2026 — no credit card required.