Voting is a meaningful and easy way to be active in your community, with municipal government having a direct impact on the day-to-day lives of over 480,000 residents who call the Halifax Regional Municipality home. 

It’s important to understand who can (and who can’t) vote in the 2024 Municipal and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) Election.

Municipal elections

Residents who meet all the following conditions qualify to vote in municipal elections:

• Residency: You have been a resident in Nova Scotia for six (6) months immediately before the first advanced polling day and you have been a resident of the Halifax Regional Municipality since immediately before the first advanced polling day.

• Age: You are 18 years of age or older on the first advanced polling day.

• Citizenship: You are a Canadian citizen on the first advanced polling day. 

In addition to meeting residency, age and citizenship requirements, residents must not otherwise be disqualified to vote in municipal and/or school board elections. You are considered a disqualified person for the purpose of the municipal election if you are:

• the municipal Returning Officer;

• a person serving a sentence in a penal or reform institution; and/or

• a person who has been convicted of bribery under the Municipal Elections Act [PDF] in Nova Scotia, in the six (6) years before the ordinary polling day.

Student voters

Students attending one of the municipality's eight post-secondary institutions can vote in Halifax, subject to the same basic voting requirements as all other residents. 

Students who meet basic voting eligibility are considered a resident of either where their family home is located or where they are attending school, but not both. All residents are only able to vote in one municipal election in Nova Scotia. 

Learn more here:

https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/elections/voters/voting-eligibility

Advance online and telephone voting | Oct. 8-16, 2024
During alternative voting days, residents can vote before election day electronically or by phone.

Advance in-person voting | Oct. 12 and 15, 2024

During advance polling days, residents can vote electronically before election day at one of the municipality’s voting locations.

Election day | Oct. 19, 2024

In-person (paper ballot) voting will be available for eligible residents across the municipality’s 16 electoral districts.

Online and Telephone voting | Advance

• Eligible voters require a unique personal identification number (PIN) to vote online or by telephone.

• Voter information letters, containing voters' unique PINs, will be sent (by mail) to residents on the municipality’s list of electors during the first week of October.

• Residents who do not receive their voter information letter containing their PIN, or are not on the list of electors, can contact the voter helpline for assistance (902.490.VOTE or 1.844.301.VOTE).

in-person voting | Advance and Election Day:

• During advance in-person voting, residents can visit any polling location to cast their vote electronically. View the list of all advance polling locations.

• On election day, residents must visit the polling location identified on their voter information letter. Use the voting location lookup tool to find your polling location.

• All eligible voters are asked to bring their voter information letter to cast their vote. Identification (e.g. driver’s license) is not required to vote.

• Voters who do not have their voter information letter, or those who are not on the list of electors, can still vote during advance voting and on election day. 

  • During advance voting, eligible residents can be electronically added to the list of electors.

  • During election day voting, residents not on the list of electors can take an oath in front of the Deputy Returning Officer at their polling location and vote, so long as they meet all eligibility requirements.

FIND YOUR VOTING LOCATION HERE

Electors' advance and election day polling locations are identified within their voter information letter (which will be sent by mail, arriving in early October). While residents can visit any advance polling location on Oct. 12 or 15, on election day (Oct. 19) electors must visit the polling location identified on their voter information letter.

Electors who vote at an advance polling location will vote using an electronic kiosk; those who vote on election day will vote using a paper ballot.