Although the next provincial election in Nova Scotia isn’t scheduled until 2025, Elections Nova Scotia (ENS) has published its strategic blueprint in preparation for that election and beyond. ENS’s new four-year strategic plan, which will last until 2026, focuses on five areas for improving electoral services.

The plan concentrates on how ENS will enhance the electoral process for all Nova Scotians through inclusion, diversity, equity, and access; how ENS will build relationships and partnerships with stakeholders; and how ENS will lead in the modernization of electoral services.

Additionally, the plan focuses on fostering a team culture that sets staff up for success and supporting election workers to excel in service delivery.

The plan was created by ENS’s Senior Leadership team.

The provincial general election for Nova Scotia will be held on Tuesday, August 17.

This 41st provincial general election will be held to elect a member in each of the 55 electoral districts to serve in the House of Assembly.

On July 17, the Chief Electoral Officer Richard Temporale received an order from the Governor in Council for the election. Upon this notice, Temporale issued writs of election for all 55 electoral districts.

The province’s last general election was held on May 30, 2017.

On February 27, a bill containing over 40 amendments and changes to Nova Scotia’s Election Act, passed its Second Reading.

The bill was only introduced into the Nova Scotia House of Assembly last week.

Government Bill No. 225, Elections Act (amended), was introduced by Mark Furey, the Minister responsible for the Elections Act.

The bill imposes penalties on third parties failing to file their election advertising report within four months after election day.

The penalty is up to $50 for each day the third party fails to file the report, up to a maximum of $1,500.

The Chief Electoral Officer has the sole discretion of imposing the penalty.

The Chief Electoral Officer could also deduct the amount of any outstanding penalties from reimbursement to be paid to those third parties.

The legislation would allow for internet voting for members of the Canadian Armed Forces stationed outside the province or to be so stationed during an election.

As introduced, the bill would amend the definition of election expenses.

It would clarify the timing of when expenses are considered election expenses.

This will be done by including expenses related to an official addition or a judicial recount, and by adding family and accessibility expenses.

By enacting a definition of family and accessibility expenses, reimbursements would be allowed to candidates for childcare, spousal care, elder care, or the care of a person with a disability.

Additionally, candidates with disabilities could seek reimbursement for expenses incurred during an election in relation to their disabilities.

The bill includes various other amendments related to voting and polling procedures for the province.

If passed, the legislation would come into force upon proclamation.

On July 31, three members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly will resign their positions to seek federal positions.

The members, Chris D’Entremont, Alfie MacLeod, and Eddie Orrell, have been nominated as candidates for the Conservative Party of Canada.

The three are required to step down before the writ period begins for the fall elections.

By-elections for the soon-to-be-vacant provincial seats have not been yet been called.

On October 21, 2019, the fixed date for federal elections, the election for the now-vacant seat in the House of Commons representing Kings-Hants (Nova Scotia) will be held.

Because this vacancy occurred less than nine months before October’s fixed-date general election, no by-election will be held.

On February 20, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for Kings–Hants (Nova Scotia) became vacant following the resignation of Scott A. Brison, who left office on February 10 to take a position working for the Bank of Montreal.

On October 31, the Regional Council of Halifax, Nova Scotia will begin the first steps to considering a lobbying ordinance for the city.

Councillor Shawn Cleary is scheduled to “request a staff report with recommendations for the creation and maintenance of a municipal lobbyist registry, which should include a regular, transparent reporting process, and contains a jurisdictional scan for best practices in other municipal, provincial and federal governments,” according to the agenda for the meeting.

Currently, there is no lobbyist registry for the city of Halifax. “I’m not saying we’re going to be the most open and transparent government in the world, but simply by having a registry, even if it’s updated infrequently, is better than not having one at all. Are we going to have the Cadillac of registries? No. But can we have a Chevy? Maybe,” Cleary told the Halifax website The Coast.

On April 30, the Nova Scotia House of Assembly was dissolved in order to call a provincial general election.

The Chief Electoral Officer, Richard Temporale, issued writs of election for all of Nova Scotia’s 51 electoral districts.

The provincial general election will be held on Tuesday, May 30.

Premier Stephen McNeil has announced by-elections will take place on July 14, 2015.

The by-elections will fill vacancies in the House of Assembly for the electoral districts of Dartmouth South, Cape Breton Centre, and Sydney-Whitney Pier.

The Cape Breton Centre and Sydney-Whitney Pier seats are open due to retirements while the Dartmouth South is vacant due to the death of Allan Rowe in March.