Results of 2024 Amherst Municipal Election

Amherst’s municipal election saw 15 candidates vying for a seat at the table. With the success of two previous alternative voting elections (2020 and 2023), Amherst once again provided exclusive telephone or internet voting with no paper ballot option.

Intelivote Systems Inc of Dartmouth NS was our provider and advance voting opened on October 10th and ran through to the close of polls at 7pm on October 19^th.

After 10 days of polling, the results are in for Amherst’s 2024 municipal election:

“This is our third election using electronic-only voting services provided by Intelivote,” shared Returning Officer Kimberlee Jones. “It seems that residents have embraced the paper-free approach to electing municipal officials. Electronic voting is now used in most elections throughout the province.”

According to a recent report from CBC, 44 of 48 Nova Scotia towns and municipalities (about 92 per cent) that held elections this October offered some combination of electronic and in-person voting options. Only four Nova Scotia towns and municipalities (that represents about 1 per cent) offered only in-person voting. With 28 elections that were conducted using electronic-only voting, representing nearly 60 per cent of the votes cast in all municipal elections this month.

“Amherst saw 50.4 per cent of its 7825 eligible voters cast their votes in this election,” shared Jones. “In 2020, the participation rate was 52.4 per cent; in 2016, 51 per cent of eligible voters had their say at the polls. Unfortunately, we are seeing voter participation trend downward across the country.”

Once results are made official on October 22, details will be arranged for the swearing-in of Mayor and members of Council, as well as municipal government training. Candidates have until October 29 to apply for a recount of votes.