N.S. election: Influx of early votes could mean a delay in declaring a winner

HALIFAX -

Early voting numbers are up, but come Election Day, all the early ballots could mean a delay in results.

Naomi Shelton, director of policy and communications with Elections Nova Scotia said if it looks like the vote count will go very late into the early hours of August 18, Chief Electoral Officer Richard Temporale would consider ending the vote count at midnight.

"It’s the volume of the early voting," Shelton said.

As of August Wednesday, Elections Nova Scotia says 105 525 people had voted early or applied for a write-in ballot—nearly double the amount at the same point during last provincial election.

More than 7,900 people have applied for write-in ballots, which is nearly triple the number last time.

Write-in ballots are the only votes legally allowed to be counted before the polls close Tuesday, with the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

The rest will be counted after the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

"Even if the count for the write-in ballots begins before 8 p.m. they can’t report any results until after 8 p.m.," Shelton said.

She said if counting was halted on the night of the election, it would continue the following morning at 10 a.m.

"That is our contingency plan if that is in fact the case. If it looks like we'd be able to complete the count close to the midnight mark, midnight is not a definite cut-off," Shelton said.

"Well have to wait and see the volume of votes on election night."

Voter Gerard Gibbons doesn’t mind.

"I really don't think it makes a difference at all. As long as it's a fair election and people get out and vote and there's no controversy, it really doesn't make any difference to me whether it's midnight or the next morning or the day after," Gibbons said.