How does an election start?
How does an election start?
An election starts when the government passes a special Order in Council. This Order fixes the date of the writ and the date of the election. There is a minimum of 30 days before the actual election will happen.
Both dates are significant. Canadian citizens who wish to vote in the election must have lived in Nova Scotia for at least six months before the date of the writ. They must also be at least 18 years old on Election Day.
After the Order is passed, the Chief Electoral Officer issues the writ of election for each electoral district and sends it to the respective Returning Officer. There are 55 writs issued.
Within five days of the date of the writ, each Returning Officer must then issue a notice of election and post it in the Returning Office. For general elections, the notice is also posted in every newspaper in the province. The notice contains the date of election, the close of nominations, and the days voting occurs.
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