Nova Scotia election had lowest voter turnout ever

Voter turnout in Nova Scotia’s provincial election this week hit an all-time low, with only 45 per cent of the electorate casting a ballot, according to unofficial results from Elections Nova Scotia. Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives made history by winning more seats than any party in the province’s history after calling a snap election last month. This election also marked the first time voter turnout dipped below 50 per cent in Nova Scotia, with the previous low being 53.4 per cent in 2017.

Lori Turnbull, a political science professor at Dalhousie University, commented on the lack of engagement in the campaign, stating, “In a lot of ways, this campaign just kind of came and went and people didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to it. And I think the government would want that.” She attributed the low voter turnout to the lack of doubt about the outcome, as polls consistently showed a strong lead for the Progressive Conservatives.

The Progressive Conservatives were the only party to see an increase in votes compared to the previous election. They received 187,430 votes, which was 24,807 more than in 2021. In contrast, the Liberals received significantly fewer votes, with 81,137 compared to 152,859 in the last election. The New Democratic Party, although becoming the Official Opposition with more seats in the legislature, saw a decrease in votes from 88,265 in 2021 to 79,079 this year.

One factor that may have contributed to the confusion and lower voter turnout was the decision by Elections Nova Scotia not to print voter information cards for this election due to a potential Canada Post strike. The strike did eventually occur, but not until two weeks after the election was called. On the morning of the election, the Elections Nova Scotia website and phone line experienced technical issues, causing some voters to struggle to find their polling stations.

Kim Aaboe, a long-time voter from Head of Jeddore, N.S., shared his experience of being turned away from his usual polling station and directed to other locations due to the confusion. He mentioned seeing others frustrated and giving up on voting after being sent to multiple different polling stations. Despite these challenges, the election results have been finalized, and Nova Scotia now looks ahead to the next chapter under the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives.