CITYnews halifax : E-balloting to begin in new electoral district in Nova Scotia

CITYnews halifax  / By Steve Gow

Nominations for candidates in the new electoral district of Cheticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, meaning e-balloting will start on Thursday.

The Nova Scotia government announced the creation of the new electoral district in February, which, at the time, was described as an “exceptional riding” carved from the existing riding of Inverness.

According to the province’s electoral boundaries commission, it was designed as a way to give Acadian voters better representation.

Voters can now begin the process of e-balloting Thursday, which will allow them to digitally vote in person on a secure tablet at a designated location.

Elections Nova Scotia says the use of e-balloting helps speed up ballot-counting on election night, but notes that it is not akin to internet voting, which will not be used in this by-election.

The agency says traditional paper ballots will be used for voting on election day in Chéticamp-Margarees-Pleasant Bay, which is scheduled for June 23.

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Major candidates include the PC party’s Claude Bourgeois, Denis Cormier of the Liberal party and NDP prospect, Trevor Poirier.

The creation of the new riding will give the provincial legislature 56 seats, 42 of which are held by the Tories, as well as nine New Democrats, three Liberals and one Independent.