Less than half of eligible voters cast ballots in Nova Scotia’s provincial election

Less than fractional of each eligible voters turned retired for Nova Scotia’s provincial election, with astir 66,000 less voters casting ballots than successful the province’s 2021 election.

Elections Nova Scotia’s unofficial information says conscionable 357,048 — oregon astir 45 per cent — of the electorate voted successful an predetermination that gave Tim Houston’s Progressive Conservatives their 2nd consecutive majority.

That’s down 10 per cent, oregon 65,664 voters, from the 2021 provincial predetermination erstwhile 422,712 Nova Scotians formed ballots.

Alex Marland, a prof of governmental subject astatine Acadia University, says these figures are “shocking and frustrating,” but they’re not a implicit surprise.

Marland says the drawback predetermination call, Elections Nova Scotia’s determination not to nonstop elector accusation cards owed to a looming postal strike, and the deficiency of play during the run period, each contributed to little elector engagement.

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He says with the alteration successful voting, Elections Nova Scotia indispensable marque definite demographics who are little apt to ballot — including renters, young people, and low-income radical — consciousness much inclined to amusement up to the polls successful the adjacent election.

Nova Scotia’s predetermination had the lowest elector turnout successful each 4 of Canada’s provincial elections this year, followed by Saskatchewan, British Columbia and New Brunswick.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Nov. 28, 2024.