Elections Nova Scotia

Volume III: Financial Information & Statistics Released

May 3, 2018

The third volume of the Chief Electoral Officer’s report on the 40^th Provincial General Election held May 30, 2017 was released today. It follows previously released Volume I, Statement of Votes & Statistics, a summary of election results and detailed statistics on the vote, and Volume II, Report on the Conduct of the Election and Recommendations for Legislative Change, which included analysis of statistics provided in Volume I.

In addition to providing financial information on election expenses, candidate reimbursement, election administration costs and financial and comparative statistics, the Chief Electoral Officer makes two recommendations for legislative change.

The CEO recommends that the deadline for candidates to inform Elections Nova Scotia they have destroyed all lists of electors be extended to 30 days after election day rather than the current ten-day limit, and if extended, impose a daily fine of $50 for missing the extended deadline. This change is based on the feedback from candidate campaign teams after the election that the current deadline is onerous to meet given other pressing responsibilities. 

The CEO also recommends that official agents for candidates be permitted to provide personal tax receipts for donations from the day the writ is issued through election day. Currently, the legislation doesn’t permit official agents of candidates who were registered before the call of the election to issue tax receipts for donations received during that period of time between writ day and the day their official nomination is approved by the returning officer. “The current limitation is impractical,” said the CEO, “and often is misunderstood by candidates’ official agents”. 

Both recommendations have received unanimous support of the members of the Election Commission who represent the three parties with members sitting in the House of Assembly. In Volume II, dated December 2017, the CEO presented 23 recommendations for legislative change, 19 of which received unanimous support from the Election Commission.

Volume III: Financial Information & Statistics is available in PDF format, and details of contributions to candidates are also available in Excel format online: https://electionsnovascotia.ca/election-data/past-results/may-2017.

Media Contact:        

Andy LeBlanc
Director, Policy & Communications
902-424-3275
Andy.LeBlanc@novascotia.ca