More than 10,000 early ballots cast in Nova Scotia, as discussions turn to online voting
Thousands have already cast their vote in the upcoming Nova Scotia election, as some leaders consider online voting in the future.
According to Elections Nova Scotia, as of Wednesday, a total of 10,040 early votes have been cast.
At the same point in the 2017 provincial general election, a total of 3,378 early votes had been cast.
"We are seeing an increase in early voting from the 2017 election and also an increase in applications for the write-in ballots," said Naomi Shelton, director of policy and communications for Elections Nova Scotia.
"We've been promoting our write-in ballot process for this election for safe voting. We've been encouraging voters to vote early and vote safely and to vote by write-in ballot if they feel comfortable to choose that option."
There have been 7,882 votes cast at the returning office continuous polls.
At the same point in the 2017 provincial general election, 3,183 votes had been cast at the returning office continuous polls.
Meanwhile, Elections Nova Scotia says they have processed 2,158 applications for write-in ballot. At the same point in 2017, 195 votes had been cast by write-in ballot.
Although there are a number of ways you can cast your ballot, online isn’t one of them.
"The legislation in Nova Scotia does not allow for internet voting,” said Shelton.
"I think by the time we're looking at the next general election, online voting is something that we should have in place,” said Liberal leader Iain Rankin.
When asked if Nova Scotia should have online voting, the PC Party Campaign said in a statement:
“Elections Nova Scotia is an independent body. It is important that they be allowed to do their work independently from the wishes of political parties. However, the challenges of electronic voting are also tied to access to reliable internet, which should be a first step before these conversations can begin.”
While the NDP Party said in a statement: “The NDP supports making it easier for people to vote. We understand that other levels of government have used online voting and would look at how those practices could be might be used at the provincial level.”
One person who does not want to see online voting is David Shipley, CEO of Beauceron Security.
"If it's not broken, don't try and fix it. We know how to vote with our paper ballots,” said Shipley.
"I am adamantly opposed to online voting for provincial and federal elections because these elections are vitally important and the ability to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the people who won genuinely won is critical. We've never seen democracy, as under threat as we have in the last several years, and one need look no further than our southern neighbours to see the chaos that can come with even just electronic voting on a ballot machine."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.