Halifax will elect a new mayor for the first time in 12 years Saturday

When municipal elections go ahead on Saturday, Halifax will elect a new mayor for the first time in 12-years.

Mayor Mike Savage is not seeking a fourth-term.

There is a crowded field of 16 candidates vying for mayor but local polling suggests it’s really a three-way race.

Andy Fillmore was the front runner in at least one poll as recently as Oct. 8, but he said he isn’t putting much stock in the polling numbers.

"This is my fourth major election,” said Fillmore on the campaign trail at a café in Dartmouth. “The only poll that matters is on election day."

The former Halifax MP said he's optimistic ahead of Saturday’s vote.

“On the doorsteps throughout HRM, the message I keep hearing is, it's time for a change,” said Fillmore. “People are very worried about the housing shortage, about the encampments, about congestion, about transit."

Councillor Waye Mason launched his campaign for mayor in July. He said the issues in this election are stark.

“It’s housing and it’s affordability, and it’s traffic and transit. That’s what you hear over and over again,” said Mason.

He said he is confident he's gained a lot of ground in the last few weeks.

"It's been interesting to see the change in the last month. Where it has gone from Andy in the lead and a bunch of other people, to as of this week, you've got the Fillmore campaign with ads saying, ‘don't vote for Waye,’” said Mason. “Your choices are, ‘if you don’t vote Andy then vote for Waye, and if you don’t like Waye then vote for Andy.’”

Not according to Councillor Pam Lovelace who said this is a three-way-race.

“People who answer polls are already decided and the larger segment is those people who are undecided,” said Lovelace. She said those are the people she’s been to connect with.

"My approach really is about breaking down the silos and addressing some of these legacy challenges,” said Lovelace.

“We're a municipal government and we don't have a lot of power. So we need to work with the province and the federal government to address some of these challenges."

Election staff are prepping more than 100 polling stations for tomorrow’s vote. Polling stations across the Halifax Regional Municipality will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Early voter turnout is at 25.2 per cent, slightly lower than the 2020 pandemic election.

"That’ tracks around 7 per cent less than we saw in the COVID election in 2020 but we really hope people get out and take advantage of the paper ballot tomorrow,” said Iain MacLean, HRM clerk and returning officer.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Savage would be the next lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.