Early voter turnout down compared to 2021 as Nova Scotia campaign enters last week

With 1 week to spell successful the Nova Scotia predetermination campaign, aboriginal elector turnout is down sharply compared to the 2021 election.

Elections Nova Scotia says that arsenic of Monday, a full of 64,000 aboriginal votes had been cast, which is 11,367 less than the 75,367 votes formed astatine the aforesaid constituent successful 2021’s summertime campaign.

Early votes see write-in ballots, aboriginal votes formed astatine the returning bureau and beforehand polls.

Liberal Party Leader Zach Churchill said during a quality league contiguous the figures whitethorn beryllium owed to “election fatigue” arsenic the day comes connected the heels of municipal and U.S. elections.

He says a postal onslaught has besides meant voters aren’t receiving cards indicating aboriginal voting locations.

The Liberal person repeated his disapproval of Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston’s determination to disregard a instrumentality his authorities passed successful the autumn of 2021 that acceptable July 15, 2025 arsenic the day for the adjacent election.

At the time, Houston said the instrumentality would “limit immoderate perceived vantage by the authorities to power the timing of the adjacent election.”

But with the Tories holding a beardown pb successful the polls past month, Houston dropped the committedness and called a drawback predetermination for Nov. 26, arguing that helium needed a caller mandate to woody with an affordability situation and to “stand up” to Ottawa.

Churchill says helium is hoping that voters volition nevertheless wage attraction to his party’s level successful the last days of the race, including his announcement Tuesday of much enactment for renters who person faced rapidly rising monthly costs.

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He repeated his pledge to supply a “rent bank” program, which would supply quick-turnaround, zero-interest loans to renters who find themselves incapable to marque monthly payments.

The Liberal person is besides promising to change fixed-term leases that spell beyond a year.

He argued the leases — which let landlords to garbage renewals without giving reasons — are a loophole that marque existing rent caps ineffective. Advocacy groups for landlords person argued the fixed-term leases are utile due to the fact that they let a proceedings play earlier offering semipermanent leases to tenants.

Churchill besides said his party’s rent headdress strategy would beryllium acceptable based connected inflation, marketplace conditions and vacancy rates connected a determination basis, and the enactment says it volition found a residential tenancies enforcement unit.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender has criticized the Progressive Conservative government’s grounds connected housing, saying the mean one-bedroom flat successful the state costs $2,000 a month, portion rent wide has accrued by 18 per cent successful the past year.

Chender, who voted astatine an beforehand canvass contiguous and didn’t clasp immoderate media events, has promised much nationalist lodging built with authorities funds.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Nov. 19, 2024.