What to expect on municipal election day in Nova Scotia

Voters are heading to the polls today in municipal elections that will see new mayors elected in Nova Scotia’s two biggest municipalities and dozens of new faces on councils across the province.

When polls close at 7 p.m., CBC will start broadcasting an election special co-hosted by Portia Clark in Halifax and Steve Sutherland in Sydney. They’ll be speaking to municipal leaders and reporters stationed at various campaign headquarters.

The election special will air on CBC Radio One and on the CBC News and CBC Listen apps. You can also watch on the CBC Nova Scotia website, on CBC Gem, the CBC News app and on the CBC News Nova Scotia YouTube channel.

In the Halifax region, 16 people are vying for the mayor’s job, a position held for the last 12 years by Mike Savage, who is not running again. There are also 63 people running for 16 council seats across the municipality.

Many voters have not waited for election day, with a quarter of eligible residents casting votes in advanced polls. Overall voter turnout in the Halifax Regional Municipality was 39.7 per cent four years ago. 

Nine candidates are hoping to be the next mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, with housing and high property taxes common issues they say are priorities. Current mayor Amanda McDougall is not running again.

Elections are being held in 49 towns and municipalities in Nova Scotia. Mayors have been acclaimed in a number, including Bridgewater, Truro and Digby, but there are races in towns such as Kentville, Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury. 

Who is eligible to vote

Rules for voter eligibility are laid out in the Municipal Elections Act and are the same across the province. Section 14 of the act states that to be eligible to vote, you must be:

• Eighteen years old.
   
• A Canadian citizen on the first advance polling day.
   
• A resident of Nova Scotia and the municipality you’re voting in for at least six months prior to the first advance polling day.

How to vote in your area

Voting methods are set by each municipality and can include in-person by print ballot, telephone, mail and online. Residents can check with their local municipality for more information on how to vote. 

This means results from areas that are only doing an electronic vote will be available faster than municipalities where paper ballots have to be counted. 

Here are how the province’s municipalities and towns are allowing people to vote on election day:

Regional municipalities

Cape Breton – in-person.
Halifax – in-person.
Queens – telephone/online/in-person.
West Hants – telephone/online/in-person.

County municipalities

Annapolis – telephone/online (electronic only).
Antigonish – in-person.
Colchester – telephone/online/in-person.
Cumberland – telephone/online/in-person.
Inverness – telephone/online (electronic only).
Kings –  telephone/online (electronic only).
Pictou – telephone/online (electronic only).
Richmond – in-person.
Victoria – telephone/online (electronic only).

District municipalities

Argyle – in-person.
Barrington – in-person.
Chester – telephone/online (electronic only).
Clare – in-person.
Digby – telephone/online (electronic only).
East Hants – telephone/online (electronic only).
Guysborough – telephone/online (electronic only).
Lunenburg – telephone/online (electronic only).
Shelburne – telephone/online (electronic only).
St. Mary’s – telephone/online (electronic only).
Yarmouth – in-person.

Towns

Amherst – telephone/online (electronic only).
Annapolis Royal – telephone/online (electronic only).
Antigonish – telephone/online/in-person.
Berwick – telephone/online/in-person.
Bridgewater – telephone/online (electronic only).
Clark’s Harbour – in-person.
Digby – telephone/online (electronic only).
Kentville – in-person.
Lockeport – in-person.
Lunenburg – telephone/online (electronic only).
Mahone Bay – telephone/online (electronic only).
Middleton – telephone/online (electronic only)
Mulgrave – No voting in Mulgrave this year. Mayor and four councillors acclaimed.
New Glasgow – telephone/online (electronic only).
Oxford – telephone/online/in-person.
Pictou – telephone/online (electronic only).
Port Hawkesbury – telephone/online (electronic only).
Shelburne – telephone/online (electronic only).
Stellarton – telephone/online (electronic only).
Stewiacke – telephone/online/in-person.
Trenton – telephone/online (electronic only).
Truro – telephone/online (electronic only).
Westville – telephone/online (electronic only).
Wolfville – telephone/online (electronic only).
Yarmouth – telephone/online/in-person.