Nova Scotia election had lowest voter turnout ever

Voter turnout in this week's provincial election in Nova Scotia hit an all-time low, with only 45 per cent of the electorate casting a ballot, according to unofficial results from Elections Nova Scotia.

Tim Houston's Progressive Conservatives won more seats than any party in the province's history Tuesday night after calling a snap election last month.

It was also the first time voter turnout has dipped below 50 per cent in Nova Scotia. The previous low was in 2017 with 53.4 per cent. 

"In a lot of ways, this campaign just kind of came and went and people didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it. And I think the government would want that," said Lori Turnbull, a political science professor at Dalhousie University. 

Turnbull said Nova Scotians likely weren't engaged with the campaign because there was never really any doubt who was going to win. Polls suggested the Progressive Conservatives had a strong lead from the start.

Turnout in nine of the 55 electoral districts fell below 40 per cent this year. The total number of votes was 10 per cent less than the amount of ballots cast in Nova Scotia's 2021 election.

"It's not a surprise to see that probably all of the parties had a hard time mobilizing the vote," Turnbull said.

PCs only party to increase votes

The Progressive Conservatives were the only party to receive more votes in this election than in the last one. The party received 187,430 — 24,807 more votes than in 2021. 

The Liberals received 81,137 votes in this election, down significantly from the 152,859 ballots the party saw last time.

While the New Democratic Party increased their seats in the legislature to become the Official Opposition, the NDP went from 88,265 in 2021 to 79,079 this year. 

Confusion about where to vote

Elections Nova Scotia announced days into the campaign that no voter information cards would be printed for this election due to the potential of a Canada Post strike.

The strike eventually did happen but not until two weeks after the election was called. On the morning of the election, Election Nova Scotia's website and phone line experienced technical issues for a period of time that prevented some people from finding out where to vote. 

Kim Aaboe said since 1985 he has voted at the same polling station near his home in Head of Jeddore, N.S., but when he went to cast his ballot Tuesday morning he was turned away. 

"A lot of people showed up to vote at the same time I was there and there was just confusion. They got sent to Ostrea Lake and to East Chezzetcook. Here, there and everywhere else," he said.

Aaboe said he was told that he'd have to go to a polling station further away, which he was happy to do but others weren't.

"I saw people there waiting to vote and then getting sent away and they said, 'Well, hell with it. I'm going home," he said.