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

A poll worker opens the door for voters at a voting place in the Nova Scotia provincial election in Little Harbour, N.S., Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

HALIFAX -

Less than half of all eligible voters turned out for Nova Scotia's provincial election, with almost 66,000 fewer voters casting ballots than in the province's 2021 election.

Elections Nova Scotia's unofficial data says just 357,048 -- or about 45 per cent -- of the electorate voted in an election that gave Tim Houston's Progressive Conservatives their second consecutive majority.

That's down 10 per cent, or 65,664 voters, from the 2021 provincial election when 422,712 Nova Scotians cast ballots.

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Alex Marland, a professor of political science at Acadia University, says these figures are "shocking and frustrating," but they're not a complete surprise.

Marland says the snap election call, Elections Nova Scotia's decision not to send voter information cards due to a looming postal strike, and the lack of drama during the campaign period, all contributed to lower voter engagement.

He says with the decrease in voting, Elections Nova Scotia must make sure demographics who are less likely to vote -- including renters, young people, and low-income people -- feel more inclined to show up to the polls in the next election.

Nova Scotia's election had the lowest voter turnout in all four of Canada's provincial elections this year, followed by Saskatchewan, British Columbia and New Brunswick.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2024.

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