Does your vote matter? Turnout in the 2017 election was at an all-time low, 53.4%. Barely half the eligible voters participated in the election. But 5 of the races in the 2017 election were decided by less than 100 votes! In Cape Breton/Richmond, PC Alana Paon beat the incumbent Liberal Michel Samson by 20 votes. Liberal Lloyd Hines won by only 71 votes in Guysborough-Eastern Shore-Tracadie. In the end, a few hundred votes across the province kept the Liberals in the majority.
The following section contains interviews with the 9 candidates running in three ridings: Preston, Eastern Shore, and Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.
The 14,000 households who receive the Cooperator every month in the mail lie in three of the new 55 ridings: Preston, Eastern Shore, and Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. As we have done in previous local, provincial, and federal elections, we asked each candidate for a short interview.
The goal of these interviews is not to have candidates regurgitate their party platforms, which are already available online. Instead, we wanted to know more about the backgrounds and interests of the candidates, about what motivated them to take on the demanding task of running for public office.
Every time we have gone through this process in past elections, we have come away impressed with the energy and enthusiasm and thoughtfulness that the candidates in each round have displayed, and this election is no different.
How to Vote
You will be able to cast your ballot in several ways before election day, August 17, including write-in ballots and advance voting in person. For more information about making sure you’re on the voter list, getting a write-in ballot, or the options for voting in person, contact Elections Nova Scotia at 1-800-565-1504 or TTY 1-866-774-7074, email [email protected], or go to the website, https://electionsnovasocita.ca. For people who are home-bound, you can make an appointment for your local returning office to send a write-in ballot team who will come to your house and help you vote.
Mailing warning: If you choose to use a write-in ballot and want to mail it in, remember that Elections Nova Scotia must receive your ballot by 8pm on August 17, or your vote will not be counted. If you think Canada Post may not deliver your write-in ballot by this deadline, you can drop it off at a returning office.
Preston
Colter Simmonds, NDP
Angela Simmonds, Liberal
Archy Beals, PC
Eastern Shore
Kevin Murphy, Liberal
Deirdre Dwyer, NDP
Kent Smith, PC
Colcheter-Musuquodoboit Valley
Larry Harrison, PC
Rhonda MacLennan, Liberal
Janet Moulton, NDP
