Nova Scotia will soon no longer be the only be the only jurisdiction in Canada without fixed election dates.
On Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives introduced legislation that will establish fixed dates for general elections in Nova Scotia.
While most other provinces and territories have election dates in October, amendments to Nova Scotia’s Elections Act will set July 15, 2025 as the date of the next general election. Future elections will take place on the third Tuesday of July every four years.
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“Nova Scotian voters need to have confidence in their electoral system,” said Premier Tim Houston in a release.
“Having a fixed date will mean predictability, transparency and it will limit any perceived advantage by the government to control the timing of the next election. The changes we are proposing will also allow Elections Nova Scotia to better plan for future elections, which can result in significant cost savings.”
The next provincial election will be July 15, 2025. The PC’s promised if elected they would introduce fixed election dates for provincial elections. They made amendments to the Elections Act today. pic.twitter.com/Kus6RoLnbk
— Jesse Thomas (@jessethomasHFX) October 13, 2021
The release said the amendments will also provide the chief electoral officer with the authority to choose an alternative date if the legislated election date conflicts with a holiday or overlaps with a federal or municipal election. It said the governor-in-council will be able to order that the election take place on the new date.
Richard Temporale, the chief electoral officer with Elections Nova Scotia, said in the release that he was pleased with the fixed-date legislation.
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“I support the choice of date and I appreciate the flexibility to choose an alternate date if necessary,” he said. “This change will bring certainty to Elections Nova Scotia’s planning and budgetary cycles and improve the efficiency of our election readiness efforts.”
Elections Nova Scotia has previously recommended fixed election dates in 2009 and 2013. Having a predictable date could create up to $500,000 in operational savings for the agency, the release said.
The release said the changes to the act will not affect the lieutenant-governor’s authority to dissolve the legislature at any time on the advice of the premier, or if there is a vote of non-confidence in the government in the legislature.