Information for Voters

The next regular election will be held October 17, 2020. Here you will find information on the requirements of being a voter as well as all of the infornation related to polling stations and voting day.

Who can vote in Municipal Elections?

• You qualify to vote if you meet all of the following conditions:
• You are 18 years of age or older and a Canadian citizen on the fist advance polling day;
• You have been ordinarily resident in Nova Scotia for 6 months immediately before the first advance polling day;
• You are ordinarily resident in the Municipality of Barrington and have been so since immediately before the first advance polling day; and
• You are not otherwise disqualified to vote in the Municipal elections.

Disqualified persons

You are considered a disqualified person for the purpose of a municipal election if you are:

• the municipal Returning Officer
• a person serving a sentence in a penal or reform institution
• a person who has been convicted of bribery under this Act in the six years preceding ordinary polling day

COVID-19

Voting is going to look different during the municipal election this Fall. We will still be administering a paper ballot election but safety precautions at in-person polling stations will be in place.

Protecting voters and election workers from spreading and being exposed to COVID-19 is very important to us and we believe that we can safely conduct an election while adhering to public health others with the appropriate staff, venue and equipment.

The province has worked with representatives from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Elections Nova Scotia to develop the Covid-19 Guidelines for Municipalities to Administer an In-Person Election. We will be using these guidelines as a supporting document when considering the administration of our election and will provide updates in the coming weeks with specifics.

Premilimnary List of Electors

August 5, 2020

The Preliminary list of electors has been prepared for the upcoming elections. The Returning Officer may make additions or corrections to the list upon application by telephone, email, or in person by appointment. You can find out if you are on the list of electors by contacting our Returning Officer between the hours or 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday from August 7 to August 25 by phone at (902) 320-3509 or e-mail at .

You will be asked for your name, your address (both civic and mailing) and your date of birth.

Polling Stations On Election Day

The following nominations have been received in respect to the municipal elections to be held on October 17, 2020. Electors may vote between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm at locations listed below or at the advance polls.

N.B.: All polling stations are in a premises permitting convenient access by an elector with a disability.

Advance Polls

Any elector who expects that they cannot vote on ordinary polling day may vote at any of the  3 Advance Polling Stations on Saturday, October 10 or the 1 polling station on Tuesday, October 13.

Polling Divisions

A polling division is a smaller geographic section of an electoral district, for which a list of electors is prepared and a polling station is set up on election day. Each electoral district has multiple polling divisions. Likewise, each district within the municipality is separated into polling divisions. These divisions indicate which polling station electors will visit to vote.

Information for Voters

Every four years, the Municipality holds a general election for both Council and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial’s (CSAP) school board members.

The next Municipal and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial Election is scheduled for October 19, 2024.

The upcoming general election will allow eligible residents to vote for their choice of:

• Councillor within their district (5 total); and
• Conseil scolaire acadien provincial Member (if applicable)

Preliminary List of Electors

The Preliminary List of Electors has been prepared for the upcoming municipal election. The Returning Officer may make additions or corrections to the list upon application by telephone, email, or in person by appointment.

To find out if you are on the List, contact our Returning Officer, Caren Crowell, by phone at 902-635-1400 or by email at .

Who can vote in Municipal Elections?

You qualify to vote if you meet all of the following conditions:

• You are 18 years of age or older and a Canadian citizen on the first advance polling day;
• You have been ordinarily resident in Nova Scotia for 6 months immediately before the first advance polling day;
• You are ordinarily resident in the Municipality and have been so since immediately before the first advance polling day; and
• You are not otherwise disqualified to vote in the municipal and school board elections.

Disqualified persons

You are considered a disqualified person for the purpose of a municipal election if you are:

• the municipal Returning Officer;
• a person serving a sentence in a penal or reform institution;
• a person who has been convicted of bribery under this Act in the six years preceding ordinary polling day.

Electronic Voting

This year's election will be administered with a hybrid model - meaning both electronic and paper voting. Intelivote Systems Inc. will be administering the electronic portion of the election. They are a premiere Canadian electronic voting system company that provides the voter with a dynamic choice of voting options.Intelivote specializes in providing secure and accessible electronic voting solutions for elections.

Through online and telephone voting, we can ensure that everyone has a chance to vote in the election. Offering voting from home, from either telephone or computer allows all voters the same level of privacy and independence.

Intelivote delivers a safe service, ensuring that each voters identity is secure and each person is only able to vote once. Their aim is to modernize the electoral process while maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of votes.

Electors in the Municipality may vote via internet from any computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by telephone from 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 10 until Friday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. A Voter Information Letter will be sent out by the end of September with all of the information and instructions on how to vote electronically. 

The period in which electornic voting is open is considered the advance polling period which covers the two mandatory advance poll days.

Polling Stations On Election Day

Electors may vote by paper between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the locations listed below.

N.B.: All polling stations are in a premises permitting convenient access by an elector with a disability.

Acts and Legislation

These links to acts and legislation regarding municipal and school board elections are provided for your information. 

Municipal Elections Act

Municipal Elections Act Forms

Municipal Government Act

Education Act

Information for Candidates

When serving on Council, you become the voice for your community and act as a representative for the people in your area. Here you will find information on eligibility, running a campaign, forms, policies and more.

Eligibility

To be a candidate in either a municipal or school board election, you must: 

• Be a Canadian Citizen
• Be 18 years old on nomination day (September 10, 2024)
• Be a resident of the municipality for a period of six months preceding Nomination Day (by March 9, 2024)
• Not be disqualified under Section 18 of the Municipal Elections Act
• have municipal charges such as taxes and liens, fully paid.

You don’t need to live in the polling district that you’re running in, as long as you meet the residency requirement of six months in the municipality.

Why Should I Run For Council?

Joining Council is an opportunity to have your say on infrastructure projects, planning strategies and the legacy of our community. You play a vital role in the community by listening to people’s concerns and ideas and bringing them to the rest of your council colleagues. As a part of Council, you get to learn more about the financial health of our municipality, set operating and capital budgets and weigh in on recreation assets and strategies.

Important Dates

Candidates Guide & Resources

The Nova Scotia Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing has a website with information for candidates interested in running in a municipal election. Check it out at https://novascotia.ca/municipal-elections/

The Department has also prepared a guide for Candidates. Click here to access it.

Audit Committee Minutes

Council & CAO Expenses