SYDNEY, N.S. -- In a day and age when we're often hearing about low voter turnout, officials in Halifax were pleasantly surprised with how many people took advantage of their first opportunity to cast a ballot in this year's municipal election.
It was a similar story in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality where the first day saw more than 10 per cent of total eligible voters turn out -- virtually.
"I think the electronic option is here to stay," said Tom Urbaniak, a political scientist at Cape Breton University.
He says while the move to electronic voting was already underway, COVID-19 may prove to be the catalyst in making it the new normal.
"COVID or no COVID, the electronic voting will be the main way of voting for voters," Urbaniak says. "Not only in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, but across Nova Scotia as well."
Urbaniak says it's not everyone's favourite method, and that even though many seem to like e-voting, it's taken some getting used to.
That's why he feels it's not time for in-person voting to go extinct just yet.
"I'm also encouraged to see that there are three in-person locations," Urbaniak said. "One at city hall, one in Glace Bay, and one in North Sydney. It's important to have that additional opportunity."
While it might seem counterintuitive if final voting numbers were to end up being higher during a pandemic, Urbaniak says there is a chance that may happen, but history shows not to read too much into the initial numbers.
"Early voter turnout is not necessarily extrapolated to overall voter turnout," he said.
Election Day in Nova Scotia is Oct. 17.
