**** MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS/HOUSING Release
Nova Scotia Municipal Elections Successfully Completed, Op-ed
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NOTE: The following is an op-ed from Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Chuck Porter.
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As Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, I want to congratulate everyone who participated in this year’s municipal elections and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to vote.
We depend on local government to deliver programs and services that enrich our lives. With the successful completion of the 2020 municipal elections, the future of our urban and rural communities remains strong. This term, our local governments will be more inclusive as more women and more people from diverse backgrounds and cultures will sit at council tables.
I want to offer a personal thank you to all who put their names forward as a candidate. Our province depends on people who are willing to do the hard work of public service and represent the interests of their friends and neighbours. Regardless of the result, your ideas and energy strengthen our democratic process.
To our returning and newly elected mayors and councillors, congratulations. The voters have given you their confidence. The oath you are about to take represents a serious duty that you may find challenging, but I hope you also find it to be a rewarding experience. I wish you all success over the next four years.
I am also grateful for the hard work and dedication of those representatives who are not returning and I wish them all the best as they move towards new opportunities.
In several areas, voter turnout was higher than four years ago. I’m pleased so many people took the time to help shape the direction of their communities. Early indications are that having phone-in and e-voting options to cast a ballot played an important role in voter turnout. Our elections need to be accessible to all and I encourage municipalities to continue to look at ways to make voting as easy as possible in 2024.
