HALIFAX — A delayed start in voting at one poll outside Halifax means that results of the Nova Scotia provincial election will be published an hour later than planned tonight.
Elections Nova Scotia spokeswoman Naomi Shelton said in an interview that a polling station in the Eastern Shore community of Mushaboom will remain open until 9 p.m. local time to compensate for the late start, and the law requires that no results be released until all polls close.
She says counting in the rest of the province will begin at 8 p.m., so when results are posted, they will likely flow rapidly and be "robust."
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston launched the snap election on Oct. 27, ignoring his government’s election law, which for the first time in Nova Scotia set a fixed election date — July 15, 2025.
Houston said he called an early election to get a stronger mandate to stand up to the federal government on such things as carbon pricing.
Major election themes included the cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, and the province’s ailing health-care system.
At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature, the Liberals held 14 seats, while the NDP had six and there was one Independent.
Polls have pointed toward a return to power for the Tories, with the NDP and Liberals in a close struggle for second.
Houston is in his home riding of Pictou East today where he is scheduled to vote at a local community centre. Liberal Leader Zach Churchill and NDP Leader Claudia Chender voted in advance polls.
Chender is set to spend the day in Halifax, while Churchill will be in his Yarmouth riding.
Elections Nova Scotia released figures on Monday evening indicating that early voter turnout had fallen about nine per cent compared with the 2021 general election.
As of 8 p.m. Monday, a total of 160,698 early votes had been cast, down about 16,000 voters from the 176,793 who voted early in 2021.
There are about 787,000 registered voters in Nova Scotia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
The Canadian Press
