The polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday night marking the end of the Athabasca by-election. 

Preliminary results are showing a SaskParty win. 

According to ElectionSK,  2,228 ballots were counted with 37 ballot boxes reported during this first count, which includes 29 regular polls, six advance polls and two mobile polls in personal care facilities. 

The breakdown is as follows:

• Clint Arnason – Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan (BPSK) – 12 votes
• Georgina Jolibois – New Democratic Party (N.D.P.) – 900 votes
• Jim Lemaigre – Saskatchewan Party – 1,146 votes
• Darwin Roy – Independent – 157 votes
• Rejected Ballots – 13

This represents only 24 per cent so far of the 9,277 registered voters in Athabasca.

The second preliminary count will happen on Friday. This includes vote by mail ballots received at Elections Saskatchewan’s head office by February 15. A total of 40 vote by mail ballot kits were mailed out.

The final count will take place on Feb. 28 and will include vote by mail ballots received after February 15. It may also include any in-person absentee ballots cast at the Athabasca Returning Office, hospital ballots and extraordinary ballots.